MS Dhoni can't afford to relax ahead of Aussie clash© Getty Images
In less than 24 hours, the Indian team will be all set to play one of their toughest encounters of ICC World Cup 2015. Facing Australia on their own turf is tough. Doing it in a semifinal of a world championship is tougher.
India have been in splendid form. They started their campaign on the back of some really poor performances but the ICC event seemed to have flicked the switch on in them. They have beaten bigger teams and crushed the minnows.
Then again, cruising through group stages is one thing and facing the Aussies in a knockout game is a different kettle of fish. At the Sydney Cricket Ground, MS Dhoni's men need to turn up with their A-plus game.
India, as a unit, have been in sparkling form. The bowling has undergone a massive makeover, the batting has chipped in and the fielding has been electric.
The openers
It's raining in Sydney and that could be a major spoiler for India. The pitch has been under covers and there has to be a lot of sweating on the track. India would definitely not a fancy an overcast SCG with a track with moisture in it against the Aussie pace battery. The sweating also negates the threat of Ravichandran Ashwin. The moisture may help the ball grip the surface a touch but MS Dhoni would have preferred a sunbaked SCG.
According to the experts SCG is a good venue for India to take on Australia but records suggest otherwise. The SCG has been kind to India in Tests but in the ODIs, India's record at Sydney is appalling - 12 losses in 14 games against Australia. The men in blue have won just a single game in the last 35 years at Sydney.
It's going to be a tough ask for India but then again, World Cup semis aren't meant to be easy. The scales might be tipped in favour of the Aussies a bit but this Indian unit is highly adaptable and on current form is a definitely on equal footing with the Aussies.
Topics mentioned in this article
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team
Shikhar Dhawan
Mitchell Starc
Virat Kohli
Ajinkya Rahane
Ravichandran Ashwin
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney
World Cup 2015
World Cup Schedule
World Cup Points Table
World Cup Squad
Cricket