Oz good as it can get

(The former Indian batsman begins his World Cup coverage for The Indian Express with a look at the participating teams. Today, the reigning ...

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(The former Indian batsman begins his World Cup coverage for The Indian Express with a look at the participating teams. Today, the reigning champions Australia)

Considering their performance in one-day cricket for the last five years or so, I feel Australia appear to be a strong contender for this World Cup. The Aussies are talented, extremely fit, in tremendous form, and their team is well settled. Besides, they have fantastic reserve strength. And, that’s a big plus.

Australia’s recent performance has been exemplary. They have churned out enough talent through their superb set-up at Adelaide that should see them through for the next five years or so.

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They have a young and positive captain in Ricky Ponting. The Australian selectors saw an inspiring captain in him, and what I like about them is that they think of the future and plan well in advance. So, when the time comes to act, they are ready for it.

Ponting has been their source of strength, after Steve Waugh was shown the door along with his brother Mark. Both had a few years of cricket left in them, and could well have hung up their boots after this mega event. I guess they must have given the selectors enough room to get rid of them.

Australia have a strong batting line-up. Mathew Hayden has been in great form and, if they go along with Adam Gilchrist higher up in the order, they should score in the region of 100 runs in the first 15 overs. With Ponting coming in at No. 3 they have batsmen who could make the most of the field restrictions early on.

If that doesn’t click, they have Damien Martyn who can hold an innings together. A lot, however, will depend upon how quickly Michael Bevan recovers from his injury. One of the best batsmen in one-day cricket today, he is a match-winner at No. 6. His batting is an abject lesson to any youngster as to how to go about building an innings in one-dayers.

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Australia’s bowling lies in the safe hands of McGrath, Gillespie, Brett Lee and Shane Warne. All are capable of winning matches on their own. They have proved it in the past and, apart from Warne, are bound to do so for years ahead.

They also have young, quality all-rounders who can turn their arm over effectively and slug it out with the bat when required. What is important about this side is that they have more match-winners in the team than any other team in the fray.

A line of caution would be that they would be missing the services of one Mr Stephen Rodger Waugh. Remember the way he batted in the last World Cup? He singlehandedly won important games for his team. His mere presence would have made a lot of difference now. However, life has to go on and Australia would be looking at somebody to play the role Waugh did during this World Cup and even beyond.