On the bounce, can Australia take on India's incredible pace battery?

Game on: Maxwell says the teams that started slowly against India in the Powerplay became sitting ducks

Fifteen runs in the first over, 80 at the end of 10 overs and an opening partnership of 105 in 14 overs. When India and Australia met in a World Cup final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg 20 years ago, the contest was probably as good as over by the completion of the first hour.

Even before Ricky Ponting could take strike and bludgeon the ball with glee to all parts for a majestic 140, India's bowlers had conceded any semblance of control by failing to come to grips with the magnitude of the occasion.

Zaheer Khan, not the unflappable, all-terrain bowler that he turned into later, began inauspiciously with an expensive 10-ball over. And Australia were away, finishing with an imposing 359/2 to redefine the boundaries of what's a steep total in a knockout fixture.

In Ahmedabad on Sunday, as the two rivals lock horns again, expect anything but that sort of profligacy and nervousness from the Indian bowlers first up. This is an attack that is well-drilled, battle-hardened and familiar with these conditions.

The tone is invariably set by Jasprit Bumrah, who homes in on the good length zone as if he owns that plot of land an economy of 3.13 in the opening powerplay is evidence of his efficiency. Mohammed Siraj can spray the odd boundary ball in the quest for wickets, but skipper Rohit Sharma tends to quickly regain control with the introduction of Mohammed Shami as first change. Ravindra Jadeja is the quintessential miser through the middle overs while Kuldeep Yadav has far greater accuracy than what he did four years ago.