Ponting warns the best is yet to come

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- Skipper Ricky Ponting said his unbeaten Australian lineup had yet to produce its best, and he expected to peak in the World Cup final.

Australia takes on India at the Wanderers on Sunday, on a record 16 match winning stretch and bidding for a record third world championship.

The win-loss ratio favors Australia 40-25 and the defending champion will also be buoyed by its nine-wicket win over the 1983 winners earlier in the tournament.

Australia is also bidding to become the first team to defend the World Cup since the West Indies won back-to-back titles in 1975 and '79.

"It'll be huge," said Ponting, who replaced Steve Waugh as Australia's limited-overs skipper 12 months ago. "You can guarantee we will be giving it our best shot."

Ponting said India appeared to be on top of its game, while his lineup had some improving to do.

"We haven't played our best yet, hopefully that comes out on Sunday."

Some inconsistencies in Australia's top-order have been exposed during the tournament. The Australians were reduced to 86 for four by Pakistan at the Wanderers; 135 for eight by England; 84 for seven by New Zealand; and 51 for three by Sri Lanka.

Despite those shaky starts, Australia has escaped with the results and added 10 consecutive wins here to the six it had ahead of the tournament for a world record winning roll in one-day internationals.

"We have been tested on certain occasions, we have been under fairly intense pressure of late," Ponting said. "The good thing is we have come through really well and got ourselves out of those tight periods and ended winning the game very comprehensively.

"Our batting hasn't been as consistent as we would have liked, especially our top-order batting. But hopefully back on a fast and bouncy wicket our top-order will do the job for us in our final."

One bad day could end Australia's winning run and its World Cup chances.

"That's the beauty of this competition -- you can have a day out and win as well," Ponting said. "That's another way to look at it.

"We've come a long way, we've played some good cricket. We think we can improve."

While Australia plans a brutal assault on targeted Indian batsmen it can also expect some all-out pace from the Indian seamers.

What worries Ponting the most is the threat by a new breed of Indian fast bowlers -- Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra.

Khan, 24, and Nehra, 23, have spearheaded India's campaign after a slow start.

The two pacemen have been a revelation and, with veteran Javagal Srinath in charge of the new ball, the attack has been the most potent India has ever had and collected 49 wickets so far.

Zaheer has taken 18 wickets, Nehra has 15 and Srinath, who was coaxed out of retirement by skipper Sourav Ganguly, has taken 16.

"They've been the ones that have done particularly well throughout this tournament -- Nehra and Khan have been very good for them. They are the main threats as far as we're concerned."

The fitness of Damien Martyn remains a concern although Ponting said the No. 4 batsman had shown a promising recovery. The skipper wants Martyn's overall game to be 100 percent.

"He doesn't just need to be fit enough to bat, he's got to be able to field as well," he said. "The way things are at the moment he's not going to be able to field in slips, we are going to have to find somewhere where he can field and be a very good fielder for us as well."

Ponting, along with batsman Michael Bevan and fast bowler Glenn McGrath, have been part of the last two World Cup finals and have experienced success and defeat.

In 1996, Australia lost to Sri Lanka in Lahore and then under Steve Waugh beat Pakistan in 1999 at Lord's.

Ponting said Australia will unleash a relentless pace attack on Ganguly.

"The fast bowlers have caused a few problems. Sheer pace got him out in the game against us when (Brett Lee) got him," Ponting said, adding that New Zealand paceman Shane Bond also caused trouble for Ganguly in a Super Six match.

And Lee is expected to be at his explosive best, possibly even topping the 100 mph (160 kph) barrier.

"If it's a quick and bouncy wicket then we'll try and make the most of those conditions," Ponting said. "It means a fair bit of short stuff and quick stuff to certain players.

"Some of them cope OK and some don't. It's all about exploiting their weaknesses."

 

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