Can Australia make it this time as well?

Doubts have always been raised regarding Australia's chances of miking it big in the upcoming world cup held in the sub-continent since the retirement of the bunch of 8-9 players after the 2007 triumph in the Caribbean and loss of form and fitness of most of the remaining players like Brett Lee, Michael Hussey etc to name a few. In case Australia manage to repeat the feat not only will they be doing it for the 5^th time in the history of the world cup but will also do it for the fourth time in a row. No team has even managed even three in a row.

And, not only that. Ricky Ponting will be the 1^st captain in the history of a world cup to have lifted the world cup thrice and that too consecutively. If the chances of Australia repeating the feat yet again this time in the sub-continent are considered, it would be worth to mention that Australia will be heading for the big stage without the likes of Glenn McGrath for the first time since 1996, without Symonds, Gilchrist, Hayden, Brad Hogg etc for the first time since 2003. With all thse factors, though Australia's chances of winning the world cup cannot be ruled out, their magical days are definitely lost.

Since the start of the 2003 world cup in South Africa, Australia have not lost even a single ODI be it against any opposition and under any circumstances. Australia won the match against England in the league stages of the world cup in 2003 after at one stage being 135/8 and against New Zealand after being at 84/7. Thanks to Michael Beaven's patient knock in both the games. Beaven was deceived from the man of the match award in both the games. In 2007, there were no close calls for Australia against any team, which makes them go unbeaten for 22 consecutive matches.

Australia didn't face India or Pakistan in that edition and even if they did, the result would not have been any different. With the absence of the match winners, it is not possible for Australia to win all the matches they play. And, if bad luck shifts from RSA to Australia, may be they might lose in the quarter finals itself.Though there is no McGrath or Gilchrist this time, there are likes of Shane Watson, Ponting, Haddin, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait to name a few. A hint regarding Australia's fate is evident from the face that they have not been able to defend the Ashes after the retirement of these players in 2006.

Neither have they been able to win a test series match against India since then.