Aussie Cup calls looming but signs are positive
YOU know a World Cup campaign is finally heading in the right direction when people are starting to talk about who could miss out rather than who, on earth, could be put in.
It may sound strange given Australia has won just three of its last 16 50-over games but no matter what happens in the deciding match in its series against India in Melbourne on Friday, Australia is starting to look like a team ready to lift a gear in the mid-year World Cup in England.
Of Australia’s two major campaigns in England this year — the World Cup and the Ashes — the World Cup is the one in which Australia is more likely to surprise even though its top XI remains a mystery.
Australia is rated fourth favourite for the Cup with Ladbrokes at $7, sitting behind England ($3), India ($4.33) and South Africa ($6.50).
The squad is starting to take shape with Jason Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson emerging in the Indian series as key alternatives to the Test pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
Peter Handscomb, a solid player of spin in a tournament expected to feature plenty, has been sound and could fill the back-up keeper role to Alex Carey.
Skipper Aaron Finch is becoming a worry but Shaun Marsh has been in superb white ball touch and Nathan Lyon is regaining his rhythm.
The last time the World Cup was played in England, in 1999, the highest run-scorers were hard-nosed Test performers Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, Sourav Ganguly and Mark Waugh.