It is clear that India and Australia know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. While India were seen working on facing the short stuff, Australia decided to prepare themselves against spin. Spin legend Shane Warne was at the Sydney Cricket Ground on the eve of the semi-final and rolled his arm over at the Australian nets. Warne must surely have exchanged a few notes on playing spin and Australia would be looking to put words into practice on match day given the tradition of the SCG pitch to assist the tweakers. Talking about the pitch at the SCG, Michael Clarke said, “I think the SCG in general is a really good wicket for both batting and bowling. The fast bowlers will hopefully get a little swing and a little bounce out of that wicket. Then as always I think spin will play a part. I am confident this game will be no different. It will be a challenge. “India have a very good bowling line-up with a good mixture of spin and fast bowling. We have had success with that attack through this tournament. Our batsmen are as well prepared as they can be for what we're going to face. Now we have to go out there and execute. When asked if the toss will play a crucial role in the outcome of the match, Clarke said, “I don't think so. I don't think it matters too much in a One-day game. Whether we bat or bowl first, we have got to do well. Sometimes wickets in Australia can be better to bat on second because you get a little bit of the due, so the wicket and the outfield quickens up. In any case we have got to do well in both departments.” While India have time and against made it clear that their side is well equipped to play and handle pressure in big tournaments, Clarke did acknowledge the fact that his side could be inexperience on that front but was up to the task. “Experience in big games makes a difference. I am confident that our squad has a good mixture of youth and experience. Every single one of those players in there has been a part of some big tournaments through their career. You have some older players that have played in World Cups and had success in World Cups, and you've got some youngsters with unbelievable talent, no fear at all. We will be looking forward to what is thrown at us tomorrow in a semi-final of the World Cup.” Elaborating further on handling pressure and meeting expectations of fans, Clarke said, “The way the boys played against Pakistan in the quarter-finals was extremely pleasing. Being the No.1 ODI team in the world does bring a lot of expectations. The reason you have that expectation on you is because you've performed. There is a lot of talk about pressure and expectation, but that's what comes with the role of playing cricket at the highest level. There is no greater expectation than what you put on yourself. You want to perform at the highest level. You want to perform against the best. I think the boys will be fine.” The Australian captain also said the team was motivated enough to put their best foot forward against India, a side that has been on a dream run winning all their matches so far in the tournament. “The fact that we are playing India now is extremely special. Through my career they have always been extremely hard to beat whether you play in India or in Australia. We’ve got to walk out on that field and give our best and the result will take care of itself. “You will see two teams at the top of their game wanting to play their best cricket, which will be entertaining cricket. I am really confident both teams will put on a great show, and I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of support for both teams. We need to be at our best to beat India. If we execute our plans well, I have confidence that we can beat any team we play against.” Clarke also threw light on the reason for India’s dominance in the World Cup so far. “I said at the start of this tournament that I thought India were going to be one of the toughest teams to beat. My main reason for that is because they've been in the conditions for long and played a lot of cricket in Australia. “They have worked out how to take wickets and score runs, and they have shown that through this tournament. I think MS Dhoni deserves a lot of credit for the way he has captained his team, especially after being defeated in the Test series and the Tri-Series, to be able to turn things around. They are at the top of their game at the moment. We are prepared for that. We know we are playing against a very good team that obviously won the last World Cup. We look forward to that challenge.”