Australia won their first Cricket World Cup in 1987. Their opening match of the tournament was against the then defending champions India in Chennai. They won that game by one run thanks to the alertness of their manager who had seen Steve Waugh’s hit off Maninder Singh land just beyond the boundary. It was signalled a boundary by the umpire. At the break between the innings the Australian manager took it up with the match referee and it was rightfully corrected to 6 runs. India lost by one run . The Aussie win was an absolute replica of what had happened four years earlier when India beat the then defending Champions West Indies and went on to win the World Cup.
Both India and Australia begin their campaign in Chennai once again and would want to start with a win. The Chennai pitch in October is usually a far cry from the one later on in the season in March onwards and there could be plenty of runs on this one.
Whether India go in with three spinners or not will be interesting to see. They beat Australia quite convincingly in the first two games of the one-day series. When the big boys returned to the side the team once again went back to the conservative batting style and lost the third and final match of the series.
With the in-form Shubman Gill unlikely to play they will be looking to Ishan Kishan to kick start the innings along with the skipper Rohit Sharma. The skipper last got a one-day century earlier in the year and Indian fans are hoping that he has kept his energy and centuries for the World Cup.
The Australians will be hoping the same from David Warner and if Glen Maxwell fires towards the end they are capable of putting up a big score.
While India have a good balanced attack with Bumrah its spearhead, the Aussies are more pace-oriented with Starc, Hazlewood and captain Cummins. Spin could turn it around and if Maxwell bowls as smartly as he did in the Rajkot ODI, then Australia may be able to cover the dozen or so middle overs that they may be a bit worried about.
The big difference could be the fielding as India have a couple of slow movers and in a close game that could well be the difference. As was that first game between the two countries in 1987.
