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If Australia is to win a record fifth World Cup, David Warner and Aaron Finch must fire together, Shane Watson must play and Mitchell Johnson get back to his explosive best.
So far in this tournament, Warner and Finch have let their opponents off lightly.
Against England they put on 57, with Warner first to go on 22, and Finch cracking 135 after being dropped a sitter at nought by Chris Woakes.
Against New Zealand they put together just a 30-run opening stand, Finch was first to go on 14 and Warner scored just 34.
Against Afghanistan, they scored their lowest stand yet of 14. Finch was first to go on 4 and Warner went on to smash 178.
And against Sri Lanka, it was just a 19-run opening stand, with Warner first to go on nine, Finch scored 24.
That’s only an aggregate 120 in four opening stands, or an average of 30, way below the master-blasting capabilities of these two excitement machines.
They will be expected to crack three figures within 15 overs, setting the launching pad for a deep 300 or 400-plus total.
That will win the World Cup.
But there are two other vital ingrediants for success – Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson.
Watson’s immediate future is in the hands of the sole national selector on duty game by game.
Chairman Rod Marsh dropped the all-rounder for the Afghanistan game at the WACA, but Mark Waugh saw fit to reinstate him for the vital Sri Lankan clash at the SCG, where Watson smacked 67 off 41 with seven fours and a couple of sixes.
In an added bonus, Watson shared a 160-run partnership with first-time centurion Glenn Maxwell.
Interestingly, Waugh will be the sole selector on duty again on Saturday for the last pool game against Scotland. Expect Watson to play, and fire again adding firepower in the middle order batting five.
That leaves Mitchell Johnson with only eight wickets at 23.50, well below the best Australian bowler in this tournament in Mitchell Starc, whose 12 scalps have cost a miserly 10.16 apiece.
If Johnson can match Starc from here on in, heaven help the opposition – no matter how well they are batting.
With both Australians hovering around the 150kp/h mark, there’s no respite for 20 of the 50 overs.
So what’s the best Australian team to do the business?
In batting order: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, and Mitchell Starc – every one of them capable of scoring runs – and quickly.
I’ve left out economical left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty with Clarke, Maxwell, Smith, and Warner all capable of bowling the odd overs of spin. I have left the attack to the quicks Starc, Johnson, Faulkner, Watson, and Marsh.
There’s one danger in that formula. Wiith so many paceme,n Clarke must keep a close eye on the clock to make sure the Australians aren’t overtime, that risks the team a fine, and Clarke a suspension.
But with a level playing field, and everyone fit, the Australians are on track for World Cup number five.