Australia did not look like prospective champions during their recent outing in Bangalore. Admittedly, the result was settled by the partnership between Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke. Hard as the Kenyans tried thereafter, it was merely a matter of putting up a fight. Even so, it was an unconvincing victory.
Plainly, the Australians were rusty. No amount of work in the nets can replace confrontations in the middle. Likewise, Ricky Ponting was experimenting with tactics and bowling strategies. In that regard, it was an opportunity not to be missed.
Clearly, though, the Australians have not resolved obvious weaknesses in the middle order and spin department. Hussey's arrival has strengthened the batting because he scores off most deliveries he faces, and so reduces the pressure. Spin is not so easily improved. Alarmingly, the Australian tweakers were outbowled by their Kenyan counterparts.
As far as the batting is concerned, Cameron White remains the headache. As often happens to a player down on his luck, he fell foul of the best ball of the match - a breaker that turned a foot and broke through a hastily arranged defensive push.
White's problem is that his engine takes a lot of cranking. Lacking neat footwork and clever hands, he cannot easily guide the ball into gaps. In the past, he has been able to recover lost ground with powerful strokes over the boundary. Indeed, he is one of the few Australians able to clear the ropes - the withdrawals of Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds took away a lot of the team's power. And every team likes to field one six-hitter. Of late, though, his timing has been askew and his confidence has sagged. Maybe he is trying to hit the ball too hard - always a mistake, as any golfer could confirm.
Unable to rely on his late surge, the Victorian is trying to collect more singles early in his innings. Hence his unsuccessful expedition against Kenya. Doubtless he had watched Hussey and Clarke use their pegs against the tweakers. His idea is sound but his execution was poor. He needs to work on placement, weight of shot and footwork. Relying on a late blast is a risky business. The middle overs are not to be wasted.
As it stands, David Hussey is a better bet because he is more fertile. White is depending on past deeds and prospects. Most likely he will be pushed up the order against Canada. Time is running out, though, and another stagnant innings could cost him his spot.
Meanwhile, the Australians will also be hoping that their captain recovers his most fluent form and that Brad Haddin does not get carried away with improvisation. Frustrated by the Kenyan speedsters and spotting gaps in the field, he repeatedly stepped down the pitch, gave himself room and tried to swat over cover. It became predictable.
Australia's spinners were alarmingly ineffective. After watching the Kenyans turn the ball appreciably, they were expected to pose all sorts of problems. Tanmay Mishra is an accomplished operator with neat footwork, but he is not Don Bradman. Yet he was able to play Steve Smith off the back foot, several times putting him away past mid-on. Wrist-spinners lacking pace off the pitch can struggle in India. Smith's accuracy is coming along, but he does not look much like taking wickets.
Jason Krezja was presentable as opposed to threatening. He had several long, tactical talks with his captain, and bowled tidily. Credit can be given to the batsmen. Collins Oboyu played one startling reverse sweep that brought about a hasty rearrangement of the field. Still, the offies were supposed to make the ball grip and turn, and force the batsmen to grope.
Doubtless the entire side needed the run. Even the fast bowlers were patchy, and the fielding did not exactly sparkle. Hereafter, Australia will play a lot of games in a short period - assuming they last the course. Canada might suffer the backlash from this tepid performance. By the time they face Pakistan on the weekend, though, the Australians will need to have everything in its rightful place.
If they lacked conviction, the same can be said about their rivals. Perhaps the slow start to the campaign has taken a toll. It's hard to stay sharp for three mostly inconsequential weeks. India made a hash of a recent powerplay, and most of the blame lay with Sachin Tendulkar, who threw his wicket away at the outset. South Africa have won a close match but lost a leg-spinner. England have become the Jekyll and Hyde outfit. Sri Lanka rely on their two main batsmen and bowlers. Pakistan look spirited but fraught.
It's still anyone's game. Only one thing stands out - India's batting.
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