India Favorites - says Captain Misbah

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq accepts India will begin as top choices in Thursday's World Cup semi-last against Australia on account of twist cordial conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Misbah, whose side lost to Australia by six wickets in a quarter-last at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, said the competition co-hosts will regret being without a quality spinner in their last four conflict.

"Playing in Sydney they will miss a decent spinner," said the 40-year-old Misbah, whose one-day universal vocation finished after Friday's annihilation by Australia. "That could be the distinction, on the grounds that spinners have had a considerable measure of accomplishment in Sydney and Imran Tahir did well a few days ago. So that could be an issue for Australia.

"They may very well be in a bad position there, despite the fact that it will be an extreme diversion in light of the fact that both sides are playing great cricket." Leg-spinner Tahir gathered four for 26 and individual moderate bowler JP Duminy took three for 29, including a cap trap, as South Africa bowled out Sri Lanka for only 133 to win Wednesday's quarter-last at the SCG by nine wickets.

Be that as it may the bat ruled the ball in past World Cup recreations at the venue, with Australia heaping up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa crushing 408 for five off the West Indies' assault. Protecting champions India have been having some fantastic luck with seven straight wins, opposing the structure book in the wake of experiencing a winless Test and ODI voyage through Australia preceding the competition. Australia skipper Michael Clarke yielded playing India in a semi-last would be a test, yet couldn't help contradicting Misbah that turn would be the urgent element at the SCG.

"I don't think a ball spun in our diversion against Sri Lanka," Clarke said. "It will all rely on upon what kind of wicket gets arranged. In the event that there is a touch of grass on it, that will absolutely help our quick bowlers. "On the off chance that it does twist, we've got turning alternatives in our squad, so I'm certain the selectors will survey that once we become acquainted with SCG and work out what they believe is the best 11," the Sydney local included.

Clarke said Australia had the choice of picking left-armer Xavier Doherty to bowl in coupled with Glenn Maxwell if conditions favored twist - with the commander himself and Steven Smith prepared to chip in. India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has depended on off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 12 wickets in the competition, as his twist lead with Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and even Rohit Sharma giving move down.

Australia have won eight of their last nine finished one-day internationals at the SCG, however Clarke was careful about a revived India group. "India are a totally diverse resistance to Pakistan," he said. "They have distinctive qualities and diverse shortcomings also. They are clearly playing a great deal better than they were all through the begin of the summer. I said driving into the World Cup that I thought India would be a greatly extreme group to beat.