McGrath may get the new ball

Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Saturday hinted that veteran pacer Glenn McGrath may get the new ball in the vital do-or-die encounter against India in Mohali on Sunday.

"We have a lot of options with the new ball. Any one of four of our pace bowlers can take the new ball. Johnson is menacing with the new ball as he proved in Kuala Lumpur; we have Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee too. But with the wickets having a bit of bounce and swing it means Glenn McGrath may get the new ball," Ponting said on Saturday.

The Australians also want McGrath, their most experienced bowler, to bowl at India's top batsman Sachin Tendulkar to try and get him out early.

India are struggling with their batting in the last few months and getting Tendulkar out early would just worsen the situation for the hosts.

"Glenn loves bowling to the best player in the opposing team and he has a good record too. And I think in the one-dayers in the recent past against Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn has his nose in front," Ponting added.

The Australian captain believes that the extra bounce would also help his batsmen.

"The wicket suits our batsmen. We like the bounce and the bit of carry that this wicket will offer.

"I saw the last few games here and the wicket here has a lot more swing and bounce than other Indian wickets. In the last game [Pakistan vs South Africa] the pitch had a lot of bounce and swing and I am quite sure that won't be the case in tomorrow's match. But still I feel there would be a considerable amount of bounce and pace," he said.

The news of Yuvraj's withdrawal from the Indian team from tomorrow's match also pleased Ponting.

"That's good news for us. He has been the best one-day player for India in the last 12 months. He has been nominated for the ICC one-day awards, which shows how well he has played. They will miss his batting and fielding," he said.

The Champions Trophy is one event Australia has failed to win. And their desperation to get their hands on the trophy is obvious.

"Yes, we are desperate to win this tournament. After all, this is the second biggest tournament after the World Cup," said Ponting, who led Australia to victory in the 2003 World Cup.

Australia's best finish in the Champions Trophy is the semi-finals. And if they manage to get past India tomorrow, no one would bet against them bettering that record.