March 23, 2003	Sunday	Muharram 19, 1424

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JOHANNESBURG, March 22: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said on Saturday he hoped an Australia win in the World Cup final would not provoke a backlash against his side’s dominance of one-day cricket.

Australia go into Sunday’s showdown against India at The Wanderers with their winning streak at a world record 16 successive matches, including all 10 games in this tournament.

Ponting said his side’s progress to the final had been tough and added if Australia lifted the trophy they should get credit for their achievement rather than criticism for being too good for the other teams.

“I just don’t understand where people are coming from if they say they would be disappointed if we won,” he told reporters on Saturday.

“We have played some very good cricket through this World Cup and have totally deserved our spot in the final and whoever wins will play the best cricket on the day.

“It really would disappoint me if we ended up winning and people said they were disappointed with that.”

Australia may have won all their matches but they have still had some tough times ahead of the final.

They lost leg-spinner Shane Warne before they bowled a ball after he tested positive for a banned substance, then pace bowler Jason Gillespie returned home with a heel injury having played just four matches.

On the field they were reduced to 86 for four against Pakistan in their first match before Andrew Symonds made a blazing 143 not out and they were 135 for eight chasing 205 to beat England before Andy Bichel and Michael Bevan saw them home.

“We have been challenged through this World Cup and we haven’t just turned up, played, and found ourselves in the final,” said Ponting.

“There have been times when we have been challenged but we have been good enough to fight off those challenges and get our heads across the line.

“It hasn’t all been plain sailing and I am expecting the match against India will be no different.”

Australia’s latest challenge is the fitness of Damien Martyn and, to a lesser extent, Bichel, with both men doubtful for the final.

Martyn fractured his right index finger against Kenya but came through a rigorous fielding session before spending 20 minutes batting in the nets at Australia’s pre-match work-out on Saturday.

The 31-year-old dropped one high catch and took his right hand off the bat handle once while batting, but there was no indication he was troubled by the injury and he looks set to line up in place of all-rounder Ian Harvey.

Bichel, who reported soreness in his right shoulder after a fielding session on Thursday, was excused bowling at Australia’s main training session on Friday, but bowled off his full run on Saturday with no apparent ill-effects.

Barring any reaction to their injuries both men are expected to play, but Ponting said a final assessment would be left until the morning of the match.

“Both Damien and Andy have done everything we have asked and we will wait to see how they pull up but if they are right they will definitely play,” he said.

Australia have already beaten India in the tournament, crushing them by nine wickets in a group match in Centurion when their pace bowlers called the tune.

With the pitch at The Wanderers expected to have some pace and bounce Ponting said he hoped that would be the case again as those conditions would suit fast bowler Brett Lee, Australia’s leading wicket-taker with 20 victims.

“Brett has been pumped for every game he has played as you can tell from the way he has bowled in this tournament.

“He has done damage with the new ball and damage with the old ball and when someone is bowling as fast as him I think every batting line-up in the world is susceptible at some stage,” he said.

Lee’s battle with India’s leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar could be one of the keys to the final and Ponting said his side would be devising a strategy to combat his strokeplay.

“He (Tendulkar) is obviously in pretty good touch at the moment and it is up to us to be disciplined and stick to the plans we have worked out for him,” he said.—Reuters