But watching them tune-up against Worcestershire here on a rain-scattered day, one gets the sense the odds are based more on reputation than on current form. As once winners and twice finalists, they have a well earned standing for true grit that often carries them through close games, but they look vulnerable on several counts not the least being a grinding cricket season that seems to have left them bone tired. They looked slow on the field.

On paper, their team mirrors the South Africans. They pack seven or eight bowling options in their eleven and bat deep down to No 9 with wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist as an opening pinch hitter giving them space and options in the middle. Plus, they have the best finisher in the business, a certain gent named Michael Bevan whose one-day batting average is better than SachinTendulkar, Brian Lara, Aravinda De Silva or Saaed Anwar. But more of him later.

Against a modest Worcestershire, rendered parlous without of Graeme Hick (doing duty for England) and Tom Moody (with the visitors), Australia rolled out their big guns, playing what could be their final XI. Worcester batted first, but save McGrath, their bowling ace who bowled at one change, other seamers Damien Fleming, Adam Dale, and Shane Lee could not take optimum advantage of ideal conditions enhanced by the dampness arising from the River Severn flowing alongside the ground. Shane Warne bowled 10 overs straight and was flattered with two for 29 by leadenfooted Worcester boys, among them the Udaipur-born Vikram Solanki (8) who has made an impression with two hundreds this season.

Worcestershire made 162-7 in 44 overs after a pregnant cloud disgorged its contents on the ground when they had reached 113-4 in 36, bringing into play Messrs Duckworth and Lewis, two gentlemen who have worked out a complicated formula toaccount for rain interruptions and all the imponderables it throws up. Because the county was proceeding apace under the assumption that they would bat 50 and because the rain shortage allowed them only eight more, Australia were called on to make 178 in 44 to win. This World Cup will throw up many such intriguing reformulations and teams will have to ace such unexpected twists. One consideration which will come into play in conditions where rain is imminent or expected will be whether to bowl your best bowlers through.

Aussie partisans rate the opening pair of Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh above the firm of Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana. The two countered Worcestershires tearaway Afghan quick named Alamgir Sheriyar calmly as they thumped 100 in 20 with a fifty apiece to put the innings under cruise control. But Australia certainly looks jaded and depleted county sides are not going to test them.

Lucky for them, their first opponents on Sunday are Scotland. They can slip into gear by the time of theirsecond game against New Zealand and third game against Pakistan.

Brief scores(match reduced to 44 overs per side): Australia beat Worcestershire on a faster scoring rate. Worcestershire 162-7 lost to Australia 181-4 (Adam Gilchrist 86, Mark Waugh 64).