AS EACH day of this elongated World Cup passes, it becomes more obvious that the winner will be the team with the most aggressive attack and the boldest captain. There are a number of good batting sides that, in favourable conditions, will score heavily.
However, the two teams with the most aggressive attacks are Australia and South Africa.
India has the most imaginative captain but Mahendra Singh Dhoni needs more bowling firepower to match his wits.
Although Australia hasn’t been truly tested yet, it looks like the selectors’ gamble to pick a bowling attack filled with wicket-takers could be a masterstroke.
Having experienced that success, they may also punt on Michael Hussey as a replacement for Doug Bollinger.
The Australian fast bowlers Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson ripped through the paper-thin New Zealand batting line-up but Australia’s tussles with Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be a better indicator of its chances of making it four titles on the trot.
Ricky Ponting is comfortable handling pace bowlers but how he utilises his two attacking spinners may decide whether he walks away as the only captain to win three trophies.
Having been spoilt by the presence of the incomparable Shane Warne in his early leadership days, Ponting is wary of lesser spinners. He needs to shed this cloak of uncertainty and don a Superman cape to win the confidence of Jason Krejza and Steve Smith.
The surprise packet has been South Africa but, like Australia, it hasn’t yet been properly tested.
The first surprise was South Africa selecting a well-balanced attack. The bigger shock was skipper Graeme Smith’s imaginative use of those resources.
Against the West Indies he used Johan Botha’s accurate off-spin to prise out the dangerous Chris Gayle in the opening over and then brought on talented leg-spinner Imran Tahir in the mandatory powerplay.
Whether Smith will be as bold against the better batting sides such as England and India in the pool matches (then Australia if they meet in the knockout stage), will be a bigger test of South Africa’s resolve.
India is powerful in batting but may have to sacrifice some of its firepower to bolster the bowling.
It needs five frontline bowlers (three quicks and two spinners) to allow Dhoni’s imagination to roam freely and effectively.
If the pitches do show signs of wear as the weather warms this month, India’s chances could rise with the thermometer and an improved performance from its bowlers.
And then there’s England.
Its precarious position in the tournament is best summed up in three words – bowling and captaincy.
Against the feisty Irish team, the bowlers were pedestrian and skipper Andrew Strauss didn’t help their cause. Strauss had to turn the match on its head and attack rather than allow his bowlers to be savaged by unlikely hero Kevin O’Brien.
Instead, Strauss didn’t alter his conservative course and his team paid the price. (Sunday Herald Sun)