India vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2016, Match 31 at Mohali, Preview: India take on Australia in virtual quarter-final

Both India and Australia have been erratic so far in the tournament © Getty Images

With Pakistan and Bangladesh eliminated from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2016, and New Zealand grabbing the first spot in the semi-final round, India and Australia will face-off in the virtual quarter-final at Mohali on Sunday. The winner will become the second and final team to enter the semi-final round of T20 World Cup 2016 from Group 2, which has witnessed an intense battle among almost all teams playing way below their standards. Both India and Australia head into this clash at the PCA Stadium in Mohali with impressive wins in their previous matches, and the game on Sunday evening promises to be among the fiercely-contested ones so far in the tournament. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Australia, Match 31, ICC World T20 2016 at Mohali

India entered the T20 World Cup 2016 as red-hot favourites, but their defeat to New Zealand in the first game and lacklustre show against a lowly Bangladesh proved that the hosts of the tournament will have to quickly recover from the mistakes in the past. India underperformed in batting and fielding departments against Bangladesh, and MS Dhoni and his men would know that Australia is not a team that lets their opposition make amends after making mistakes.
The T20 World Cup 2016 has witnessed almost all teams — barring New Zealand — playing way below their potential. If India were outfoxed by New Zealand with spin in the first game, the Australians registered a narrow win over Bangladesh and thrashed an ailing Pakistani side to keep their hopes alive.
Both India and Australia have been erratic so far in the tournament. Indian openers have not got enough runs to inspire confidence, and their fielding was substandard against Bangladesh. There were costly reprieves, and India would know that in this business end of the tournament, there is absolutely no room for error.
The form of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and a few more would be concerning for India, but not as much as their failure to suppress Bangladesh in their last match. India got lucky the other night, riding on some brilliant death bowling and their troops marshalled well by skipper MS Dhoni. Ideally, India should leave the narrow win behind as the Australians have finally found their mojo back with an excellent win over Pakistan. READ: MS Dhoni – the hero, the villain
Steven Smith cracked a splendid half-century, and Shane Watson looked determined to sign off on a high. Australia have been surprising their opponents with frequent changes in the batting order, which can result in all kinds of planning falling apart. James Faulkner starred with a five-wicket haul, and it will be daft on India’s part if they ignore the threats posed by Josh Hazlewood and the rookie Adam Zampa.
The presence of Ravi Shastri in the Indian camp and deftness of their leader Dhoni can help India approach this game in a ruthless way. Even though there are a few concerns around, but overall the Indian cricket team is in a good shape. Suresh Raina is back among runs, and their young guns Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will be high on confidence after guiding India to an unlikely win in their last match. Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh have time and again proved their worth, and if India plays to their potential on Sunday, there could be no stopping them.
The cricketing world is aware that Virat Kohli is a big match player, and after a rare disappointment against Bangladesh, he will be raring to.
Squads:
India: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra.
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Peter Nevill, John Hastings, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa,source-cricketcountry