Against Canada a seven-wicket win, an Australian World Cup-record

Before starting World cup 2011 the fans of Australian fans were  worried about their performance but in the world cup they also playing good. Against Canada a seven-wicket win, an Australian World Cup-record opening partnership, a 34th consecutive World Cup match without a loss. That all sounds pretty good for  an Australian fan. But if Australia play like they did against Canada when the knockout stage begins next week, they won't be lifting the World Cup. Fortunately for Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, luck was on their side. Watson should have been caught in Harvir Baidwan's first over when he skied a chance to mid-on, and Haddin nearly played on to Osinde and then survived a perfect lbw shout that Canada should have reviewed. The openers were loose and lazy early, but they were wonderful later, and that is the one great positive Australia can take.In the field, they lacked polish. In the lead-up to the tournament, the former swing bowler Damien Fleming said Australia could be bowling teams. And when the Canadian top order slapped and sliced their way to the fastest team half-century of the World Cup, getting there in 4.4 overs, it seemed that Fleming's throwaway line wasn't so far from the truth.

That's the risk of playing Shaun Tait, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. As Canada showed, their speed can be used against them. Lee ended up with four wickets, but in his new-ball spell varied between being too full with no swing, and too short and inaccurate.

By the time Shane Watson and Brad Haddin were launching the ball with frightening regularity into sparsely populated stands, Australia had taken control of a game that extended their unbeaten run in World Cups to 34 matches, and vaulted them from fourth to first in Group A. Though the margin of victory - seven wickets with 91 balls to spare - was huge, they did not have it easy throughout. Canada ambushed them with the bat, and then created some chances with the new ball. Australia's pace and power eventually swamped them but Ashish Bagai's team exceeded expectations in their final World Cup appearance.

When Bagai chose to bat, the probability of an early finish in Bangalore increased significantly, but Australia's inevitable supremacy was delayed by an extraordinary attack from Hiral Patel, who batted fearlessly to score a rapid half-century off the world's fastest bowlers. After the labour against Kenya, Ponting had said he wanted to win this convincingly but it wasn't until the 29th over, by which time Canada had reached 150 for 2, that Australia began to dominate.

Their surge was led by the wayward Shaun Tait, who had Bagai edging to Haddin. The ball was now scruffy and had begun to reverse. In his next over, Tait wasted a review on an unsuccessful lbw appeal for the second time, not spotting an inside edge from Zubin Surkari. He floored Surkari, though, with his next two balls, a toe-crushing yorker followed by a full toss that struck the batsman painfully on the thigh. Rattled, Surkari attempted a flamboyant drive after getting back on his feet, and inside-edged on to middle stump.

Between those wickets, Jason Krejza dismissed Jimmy Hansra, whose attempted hit down the ground landed in long-on's hands. Brett Lee, who bore the brunt of the early onslaught, returned to uproot Rizwan Cheema's middle stump with a slower ball. Canada lost four wickets in four overs, and five for 19, and were soon dismissed for 211. Having struggled in the field with his injured pinky, Ponting was unhappy, and his frustration showed when he collided with Steve Smith moments before catching Harvir Baidwan. Ponting flung the ball into the ground after taking the catch. There was no memorable swansong for 40-year-old John Davison, who was playing his final game. After three attacking boundaries, he gloved a slower bouncer from Lee to Haddin, ending the opening stand on 41, Canada's best of the World Cup. Thereafter opportunities for Canada were few. Haddin and Watson dominated the bowling during the batting Powerplay - 41 runs between overs 21 and 25 - and were soon finding the boundary at will. Both batsmen missed their centuries, though, holing out to catches in the deep, leaving the finish to their mates in the middle order.