Aussies banking on pace

JOHANNESBURG: Ricky Ponting says India’s new brand of fast bowlers poses as many dangers for his Australian lineup in the World Cup final as batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

Ponting singled out India’s firebrand leftarmers Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra as major threats to Australia retaining the World Cup in tomorrow’s final at Wanderers. Australia have already beaten India once in the tournament, a nine-wicket win on February 15 at the Centurion, but the result will mean nothing in the final, said Ponting. Khan, 24, and Nehra, 23, have spearheaded India’s campaign after a slow and less dramatic start. The two pacemen have been a revelation and, with veteran Javagal Srinath in charge of the new ball, the attack has been the most potent India have ever had and collected 49 wickets so far.

Zaheer has taken 18 wickets, Nehra has 15 and Srinath, who was coaxed out of retirement by skipper Sourav Ganguly, has taken 16 scalps. “Sachin (Tendulkar) and their seam bowlers,” are the biggest threats to Australia, Ponting said. “They’ve been the ones that have done particularly well throughout this tournament —- Nehra and Khan have been very good for them. They are the main threats as far as we’re concerned.” While Australia are planning for a brutal assault on targeted Indian batsmen, they remain equally vulnerable against the Indian seam and swing attack that has overshadowed the illustrious spin duo of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. Offspinner Singh has taken nine wickets in as many matches while legspinner Kumble has played only five matches as the seamers have dominated.

Some inconsistencies in Australia’s top-order have been exposed during the tournament. The Australians were reduced to 86 for four by Pakistan at the Wanderers; 135 for eight by England; 84 for seven by New Zealand; and 51 for three by Sri Lanka. Despite those shaky starts, Australia have escaped with the results and added 10 consecutive wins here to the six they had ahead of the tournament for a world record winning roll in One-Day internationals. Although the Australians are happy to take the wicket of Tendulkar quickly, they also delight in removing Ganguly early in his innings. The Indian skipper is second only to Tendulkar in runs scored in this tournament which equalled Mark Waugh’s record from 1996 with his third century of the World Cup in the semi-final win over Kenya.

Ponting said Australia will unleash a relentless pace attack on Ganguly. “The fast bowlers have caused a few problems. Sheer pace got him out in the match against us when (Brett Lee) got him,” Ponting said, adding that New Zealand paceman Shane Bond also caused trouble for Ganguly in a Super Six match. And Lee is expected to be at his explosive best, possibly even topping the 100 mph barrier. Ponting expects the Indians to take the attack to Glenn McGrath, Lee and Andy Bichel in the same way they hammered subcontinental rival Pakistan’s pace trio —- Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis —- at the Centurion Park in the Super Sixes.