Form favours Australia, history Sri Lanka

A battle royal is in the offing as defending champions Australia take on charged-up Sri Lanka in the final of the ninth cricket World Cup here tomorrow.

The rampaging Australia, who will be playing their fourth final in a row, start favourites on the basis of their form but history favours the Lions who had stunned the Aussies in the 1996 final in Lahore.

Australians do not want to be reminded of history but they are intelligent enough not to forget it too. And to top it, Ricky Ponting is one who remembers his history.

Ponting has a chance to rewrite history tomorrow at the Kensington Oval. Australia have been unbeaten in this World Cup so far and Mahela Jayawardene will have his hands full in trying to stop them now.

Ponting has been helped by the attitude of the opposition, as summed up by South Africa's Graeme Smith when he said that the Proteas had done their best, but it had not been good enough. There is almost a fatalistic air on the part of Australia's opponents, one of turning up expecting an inevitable defeat.

However, the Sri Lankans are bit different. The Lions have an assurance and a feeling of compactness missing from most of the other teams in the tournament. As the win over New Zealand in the first semi-final at Sabina Park three days ago suggested, they are close to being at the optimum level now.

To win the title -- and that is the name of the game now -- any team has to be at not only peak level but go a little further.

Ponting has built a side very much similar to his own image -- focused, driven, aggressive and determined. The fact that they are also very good cricketers almost seems to be the icing on the cake for the Aussie skipper.

In Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath, he has the most successful batsman and bowler at this tournament. They have played huge roles in the team's success up to this point, Hayden with his 621 runs and McGrath with his record-breaking 25 wickets.

For a single tournament, these are astonishing figures and go some way in explaining why Australia start the final a few steps ahead of the opposition.

After that, Ponting himself comes, followed by a deeply committed batting lineup that is yet to be tested at this World Cup. Barring the fact that Bangladesh are the only team Australia have not bowled out here -- rain reducing the Super Eights game at Antigua to 22-over a side game -- and a very good idea of this team's capabilities becomes evident.

No side has survived the full 50 overs against Australia, testifying to the backup McGrath enjoys. Shaun Tait may concede a wide and four byes once in every match but then he also delivers wickets on a regular basis and Ponting has been wise enough to give the tearaway his head and not worry about the extra runs conceded column.

Nathan Bracken and Brad Hogg have complemented these two very well in very contrasting fashion. The former has been among the most economical bowlers at this tournament while Hogg has simply gotten better by the match. Throw in the intense levels the Australians field at, and you have a near-prefect recipe for victory.

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