There is no quarter-final stage in the ongoing ICC World twenty20 format, but Sunday's India-Australia Group 2 league has now become a virtual quarter-final as the team that wins goes into the semi-finals.
India are on a high, and so are Australia. Both teams have won their immediate previous group league game. So there is little to separate the two teams. But India have one advantage: Familiar home ground and conditions.
The match will be played at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Australians will take heart from the fact that they have been put up in Mohali for the last few days, as they had to play against Pakistan — a few days more than Indian team, which reached there after edging past a spirited Bangladesh by a solitary run in Bangalore.
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However, to tell the truth, there is hardly any advantage in this, the shortest format of the game that lasts just three hours. More than the 50-over format, the team that plays well in the 20-over version of cricket wins.
Surely, the Indian team would have gained a lot of self-confidence from the last-ball win against Bangladesh. But when the teams walk out on the lush green outfield under lights at the Mohali stadium, it will be a brand new game altogether.
Captain MS Dhoni will surely remind his players it was the same Australian team that India thumped 3-0 in the T20 series in Australia this year. That would serve a motivational tonic.
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India's bowling has largely been good and now the batsmen will now have to raise the bar a few notches in the crucial 'decider', at a ground where the home team has a good one-day record and has won the lone T20 International it has played.
Australia, the world cricket powerhouse, too will be motivated. Apart from the other sources that they would look to draw inspiration and motivation from, they will be eager to break a jinx. So far, they have not been able to win ICC World Twenty20 — the only global prize missing from their rich and overflowing trophy cabinet.
Another motivational factor for Australia could be Shane Watson. He has announced retirement and the team would want to win their title to bid him a fond farewell. Watson himself would be keen to put his best foot forward and make a memorable exit.
Interestingly, India have used the same XI in all three matches so far in this tournament — the very same players that thrashed Australia 3-0 in the T20 series in January.
So, prepare a cup of coffee, keep popcorn ready, fasten your belt, and enjoy a Sunday evening in front of your TV set. And expect an encore from India.
