Australia have tried to unsettle India ahead of the high voltage semi-final clash against India at Sydney on Thursday.
As the entirety of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) gears to be bathed in a sea of gold and blue, Thursday will prove as to whether Australia really have the gumption (and guts) to match their so called 'pre game prophecy' and ballyhoo, come the big match.
Yes, the SCG was where the late Phil Hughes heart-sickeningly felled by Sean Abbot's fatal bouncer, which later sent an entire nation in mass mourning, and Thursday may be apt for Michael Clarke's men to cast away dark memories, with a commanding win over India.
Coming to pre-game talk (which is always an unfailing Australian trait), a clutch of players have started so called 'mind games' in a bid to destabilise India's sky high confidence.
The fact that SCG may quite surprisingly see out massive support for India (which ground in Australia doesn't!), may well have given Clarke's side impetus enough to try and rattle India verbally.
If Wahab Riaz's storming spell in the quarter-final at Adelaide, did go some way in uncloaking Australia's so called blanket of 'toughness', Shane Watson's regression, post the Pakistani pacer's constant bouncer barrage and taunting, only reiterates that sledging when executed with timing, can do a good deal of damage to the Aussies' morale.
Though it is another matter that Watson and Australia later saw off Wahab and Pakistan, still some good old fashioned brand of sledging can be expected from either sides, come Thursday.
Mitchell Johnson (C) is geared up for the sledge-game (AFP)
Quite predictably, Australia have been front-runners in the pre-game verbal bandwagon, with pace-gun Mitchell Johnson upping the ante with his 'I will sledge India if David Warner doesn't' jibe.
Now it may be remembered that the big-hitting Warner was not so long ago fined for his 'Talk English' spat with Rohit Sharma, in a tri-series game at Melbourne, and the semi-final may be enough fodder for both parties to get into a verbal joust once more.
Throw Steven Smith's 'India have mental scars' statement into the mix...and voila..we do have an exciting battle on cards now!
Smith's assertion of the Test and tri-series hammering taking a psychological toll on India, may come to haunt him, given MS Dhoni's side win the game on Thursday.
Steven Smith has played on India's tri-series hammering (DNA)
Australia have also tried to unsettle India with the 'Xavier Doherthy factor', and have dilly-dallied on the spinners' inclusion for the contest.
In contrast, Glenn Maxwell has spoken about the pitch 'having no assistance to spinners', and has also hinted at a 'fair amount of grass', facts which definitely aim at unsettling India.
Can India shut up Maxwell and his 'winless streak' jibe?
Glenn Maxwell has taunted India on it's 'winless streak' (DNA)
And where does Doherty fit in?
All of that will be revealed on Thursday.
James Faulkner wants to 'finish' India off (Getty images)
And last but not the least, James Faulkner has added fuel to fire by vowing to 'finish India', which gives the contest an added dimension.
Faulkner's over-confident talk may prove to be a double-edged sword for Australia, as failure to replicate it with the bat, will give him the 'loose cannon' tag.
Quite surprisingly, India have least bothered to respond to such talk, and the players' calm demeanour may just be a storm waiting to pulverise Australia.
None of the Indian players have chosen to go overboard with their choice of words, and it would be interesting to see as to whether MS Dhoni's side burst Australia's 'hot air balloon'.
Tri-series fiasco anyone?
Not at all!
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