Embattled India on the brink :

India are usually known to be slow starters, but in the CB series, they were top of the table at the halfway stage. A week later, India are now sliding towards the exit. Not only have they lost their previous two matches, there has been plenty of off-field drama as well. 

"Rift" and "communication breakdown" are the words dominating India's sports pages over the past few days, with board officials reverting to the usual "he was misquoted" refrain to try to douse the controversy. The Indian media manager addressed the press to ostensibly bring clarity on the matter, though the mantra of that session was "let's look ahead and forget about the past".
 

                                  

With India most likely needing to win both their remaining matches to qualify, their rotation policy is being shelved. All three of their experienced batsmen - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir - are set to feature despite MS Dhoni's now famous claims that playing all three together would cost the team 20 runs in the field. Dhoni himself will return from a one-match suspension, adding steel to the listless lower middle-order. 

Australia, on the other hand, have had far fewer problems in giving their youngsters opportunities. Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin have been eased out of the side, and their place has been taken by Peter Forrest and Matthew Wade. They have an easier route to the final as well, with one win guaranteeing them qualification.