Johannesburg, Mar 22: The Bengal tiger and the kangaroo will battle it out here tomorrow for cricket's most glittering prize. A resurgent, aggressive and confident India, after a dream run in the world cup, take on the defending champions Australia in the high-voltage final at the wanderers. Will they repeat the triumph of Kapil Dev's team at the lord's 20 years ago, the only other time India have figured in a World Cup final?
Sourav Ganguly, who has led the side with great aplomb, certainly thinks so, saying his side is quite capable of upstaging Australia despite a humiliating nine-wicket loss to them in the league stage. "We can match Australia in every aspect," Ganguly said. "It has been a great feeling to reach the final but now we are aiming to win the cup."

It has been an amazing recovery by a side that came into the tournament badly brutalised from the tour of New Zealand and faced a violent backlash from fans back home after the loss to Australia. The team has won eight matches in a row, equalling its best-ever winning streak, and is the only side in the tournament that has looked capable of beating Australia. The Aussies, who are aiming for a record third title, on the other hand, have not lost a single match in the tournament, extending their winning sequence to an unprecedented 16 games.

Bureau Report