Team India faces its toughest test when it meets Australia in what promises to be an explosive second semi-final at the cricket World Cup in Sydney on Thursday.
One of international cricket's fiercest rivalries resumes after six weeks when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 'Men in blue' battles it out with Michael Clarke's team at the Sydney Cricket Ground for a place in the final of the ICC's showpiece event against New Zealand, who beat South Africa by four wickets in a thriller in Auckland on Tuesday.
- The Cricket World Cup: Complete Coverage
On current form, defending champions India, having registered seven straight victories in the ongoing tournament, is the team to beat. However, when it comes to playing Australia, they haven’t won a single match in seven encounters across two formats, which also includes a warm-up game of the mega event played some 43 days ago.
These matches include four Tests, two of which were won by the hosts, two ODIs in the tri-series that also featured England, and an unofficial warm-up match before the start of the tournament proper.
Ahead of the World Cup semi-final (0900 IST) here’s a factfile on the two teams.
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'There is something about Dhoni and World Cups...'
Team India closing in on their 'mission' in long Aussie summer
Finch reckons he's close to the 'big one'
It's more than just cricket when India-Australia take centre-stage