Team that `does’ first rarely `dies’ later

While statisticians may not find it interesting enough to create another parameter by which to analyse teams, it could have a crucial bearing on India’s first match in the Super Six. India are on a high and you get the feeling that their performance curve is still looking up. Two potentially toughmatches have turned out to be largely one-sided, not because the other team capitulated but because India forced them to. It is a very good state of mind to carry into a match against a team that will play far tougher cricket than Sri Lanka or England could.

Australia are looking up as well but they didn’t look particularly distinguished in their chase of 110 against the West Indies and it was widely felt that if the target was 50 runs bigger, we might have seen a far closer finish. The truth is that Australia have been a far better Test side than one-day team in recent times due to the great quality of resilience that Steve Waugh so typifies. That quality doesn’t quite carry the same weight in the one-day game where they have been found a little short of flair, especially when Adam Gilchrist has failed.

For Australia to make a big impression in this match, Mark Waugh and Gilchrist will have to produce a flier and that is why, to my mind, Srinath v Gilchrist will be as important a contest as McGrath vTendulkar.

Doubtlessly, Bob Simpson will have a thing or two to contribute there and in fact, the sight of him walking past the Australian nets in India colours caused a few to remark at the irony of it all.

Two members of this team, Steve Waugh and Tom Moody, were part of the 1987 World Cup team that he coached and which led the great revival in Australian cricket. And Warne, McGrath and Mark Waugh made their reputations while he was in charge.

Not surprisingly, Azharuddin had a smile on his face when he spoke to us about how they were preparing for the big game. Steve Waugh though, was as calculating as usual as he spoke of the difference in conditions between those in which Australia were vanquished on the sub-continent and here at the Oval. "I reckon Tendulkar might get a few more nicks" he said as a smile curled around his lips. He admitted though that the player they were just as concerned about was Rahul Dravid who had impressed them from the time he played in the one-off Test against them atthe Kotla in October 1996.

But Tendulkar’s favourite animal is the kangaroo and for that reason alone, he should come out first with Ganguly. In a `do-or-die’ game, the team that `does’ first rarely `dies’ later.