Virender Sehwag availability will be decisive against Australia

Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains unperturbed by Australia’s open challenge of exposing his team’s susceptibility to short- pitched bowling but, by his own admission, opener Virender Sehwag’s availability for the key match will be decisive to his plans.

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was convinced that Indian batsmen were not too comfortable against short pitched deliveries which, he insists, the hosts will be subjected to here on Thursday.

But Dhoni said his team was up for the challenge. “ It’s really good to have Sehwag opening the innings for you, because deliveries will be short and to the body. He’s the kind of batsman, if you are slightly wrong with it, he can make the most of that kind of bowling,” he said.

Sehwag, who missed India’s last match against the West Indies, has not recovered fully from an infection around his knee which has been troubling him ever since the start of the World Cup. It worsened after he took some injections and there was still swelling around the knee.

India have had three major batting collapses against top teams in the tournament so far, especially while going after the bowling during powerplays, and Dhoni agrees that aspect of the game needs to be improved.

“ It (collapse) has happened mostly when we wanted to accelerate and that is why we lost so many wickets. The way out is that while you need to accelerate, once you have lost those two or three wickets you need to bat 50 overs. Instead of aiming to get 40 runs more, you should look to get 20- 25 runs,” said Dhoni.

For his part, Australia skipper Ricky Ponting acknowledged that beating India on home turf would be a tough task. “ We are going to play in front of a packed house against a very good Indian team. It is a big game, a challenge for all of us,” he said.

The Australian skipper said his team has its strategies ready to counter the Indian game plan.

“ We have had a good look at how India are using Zaheer up front and he comes back at around 26th over when the ball reverses. We expect them to open with Zaheer and a spinner from the other end and we expect to play at least 30 overs of spin,” he noted.

On the prospect of this being the last World Cup match for either him or Sachin Tendulkar, Ponting said: “ The way Sachin is playing it seems he may play another World Cup! We’ll both probably be in wheelchairs by (2015)! But the World Cup is not about individuals.”