It’s individual perception that decides whether a glass is half full or half empty. At the Gabba tomorrow, the Indian team — tired, cramped limbs and all — will be ready to go full stretch once again to ensure what they’ve started doesn’t remain half done.

Having overcome problems of acclimatisation and inexperience to begin with, life Down Under for the young guns has come a full circle, and the retiring Australian veterans face the possibility of bowing out on a real low.

Adam Gilchrist could well be playing his last international match tomorrow, and chances are that Brad Hogg may have already played his last, given the preference for quick bowlers at this particular venue. Whatever the status of the two, Australia need to regroup urgently after two defeats in three days. Tomorrow’s second final will be their third match in five days.

And for once, the world champions are playing catch-up, and are seeming breathless.

The visitors have already turned on the pressure, and in this humid partly-cloudy Brisbane weather, it’s likely to be a huff-and-puff 100 overs for Ponting’s men.

They might get some respite in the unforeseen fluid-in-the-finger injury to Ishant Sharma that is likely to keep the beanpole in the dressing room. It should be a toss-up between Munaf Patel’s accuracy and Sreesanth’s swing, though the latter might have an edge.

The nature of the pitch should keep the luckless Piyush Chawla out, as India will look to play an extra batsman in slightly hostile conditions.

... contd.