Team India more organised than Australia

India appear to be more organised heading into their World Cup quarter-final clash in Ahmedabad on Thursday

India appear to be more organised heading into their World Cup quarter-final clash in Ahmedabad on Thursday

It's not supposed to be this way; heading into the knockout stage of the World Cup, India is organised and Australia is in chaos.

Australia's Ricky Ponting leads his team off the field after their loss to Pakistan in a World Cup match at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka recently. pic/getty images

Historically, the two teams prefer it the other way around but India should be happier than Australia about this strange twist of events.

In the last match against the West Indies India achieved the right selection balance and everybody, at least in the bowling line-up, seemed to know their task.

Australia on the other hand, apart from Brett Lee, was a bowling attack in disarray against Pakistan. Australia's gamble on pace was only going to work as long as the bowlers were taking wickets regularly. Both Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait are struggling to penetrate and there's been no sign of improved accuracy to
compensate.

Facing the powerful Indian batting line-up this will be a fatal flaw if it continues.

Australia also faces the dilemma of whether to make changes going into the knockout stage. This would not only be disruptive but would also toss medium-fast John Hastings into a crunch game without any match preparation. This would be another huge gamble but it may be one Australia has to take.

Australia also doesn't really have the option of variation at the start of the innings by opening with a spin bowler. However, it may just be the best thing for Jason Krejza as he's not a containing type bowler and he looks better when he operates with at least one attacking fieldsman.

In Colombo, Krejza was just "putting the ball there" until Ricky Ponting gave him a catching fieldsman and it was then he bowled at his best. Despite his nickname of "Punter", Ponting is anything but on the cricket field, especially when it comes to spinners not named Shane Warne.

India on the other hand, has more variety with the inclusion of Ravi Ashwin. By using Ashwin as a new ball bowler, which is a great option against Australia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni can then utilise Munaf Patel with the older ball.

That means he can "mix and match" with the dangerous Zaheer Khan and that's when everyone fitted comfortably into their role against the West Indies.

The one thing that could quickly re-energise the Australian team would be a substantial contribution from Ponting with the bat. If India avoids that and another meltdown in the batting powerplay, their "organised" bowling approach should get them home.