SYDNEY: The transformation of India’s bowlers at the World Cup has been ‘wonderful to watch’ and the reigning champions will have a great chance of reaching the final if 10 Australian wickets tumble on Thursday, says Virat Kohli.

India’s bowlers were hammered all over Australia from the start of December to mid-February as the team lost a Test series 2-0 and failed to win a single match in the following Tri-series, which also featured England.

Fast bowlers Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma have upped their game considerably at the World Cup, however, and have combined with the strong spin-bowling department to forge a potent attack.

With the help of a sprinkling of run-outs, the Indian bowlers have dismissed the opposition in all seven matches on their way to the semi-finals.

Kohli, the leading light in the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up, said everyone was aware of the areas where improvement was required and he was gratified by the way the pacemen had responded.

“The way the bowlers have reacted and the way they have performed with the composure and the confidence and the aggression all together, it’s been wonderful to watch,” he told Cricket Australia’s website.

“So we expect the bowlers to step up if you want to beat quality sides in the world and the way they have done this in this World Cup has been commendable.

“We’ve played the right kind of cricket and the difference now is how our bowling attack has come into play in this World Cup taking 70 wickets in seven games.

“That’s probably been the difference, and if we continue to do that we have a great chance come game day.”

India have not beaten Australia in any format since they arrived Down Under in late November but Kohli thinks Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground is the perfect opportunity to break that cycle.

“There couldn’t be a better time for us,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for us to do justice to the way we’ve played so far in Australia, and we haven’t had the results.”

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2015

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