Muralitharan holds the key for Sri Lanka

Among the two semi-finals lined up for the final stages of the 2003 World Cup, the Australia-Sri Lanka tie on Tuesday looks the more exciting, and the pitch at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, will play a crucial role. As we have seen, the track is on the slower side and assists spin. That factor will help the Sri Lankans a great deal, especially if they can bat first and put up a competitive total.

I have been mentioning throughout this tournament that the toss should never be a major factor in deciding the course of the game, so it is perhaps unfortunate that all eyes will be on that coin on Tuesday to find out who bats second. I sincerely hope that the curators prepare a decent strip for an important fixture like a World Cup semi-final.

A look at the teams - on paper, naturally - will reveal that Australia is miles ahead of the Sri Lankans. The Aussies came into this tournament as the top seed, and they have gone on to win every game they have played. If the pitch assists the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan, Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya, the game will be much closer than anticipated.

Australia's last game on a slow track - against Kenya - was not an exercise in perfection, although the presence of Andrew Symonds and Ian Harvey will give the Australian batting some depth. Having said that, Muttiah Muralitharan is the man the Aussies will have to watch out for; in the absence of Shane Warne, Muralitharan is the unquestioned spin-king in this tournament, and all it will take is one special performance from the champion spinner to upset the Aussie apple-cart.

It will be important for both teams, then, to ensure a good start, and if Chaminda Vaas can strike a few early blows, the pressure will definitely be on the Aussie middle-order, especially against Muralitharan. Jayasuriya will no doubt be thinking about relying on the slow bowlers to rush through the middle-overs without giving away too many runs.

Similar requirements apply to the Sri Lankan batting, and the openers are once again very crucial. Marvan Atapattu is in fine form, and if Jayasuriya can produce one of his free-flowing knocks and succeeds in upsetting the line and length of the speedsters, Sri Lanka can get off to a flyer. Aravinda de Silva will also have a major role to play if Sri Lanka are to succeed; de Silva has a wonderful record against the Aussies, and he is one batsman who thrives under pressure.

Most teams in this tournament have been going in with relatively weak fourth and fifth bowling options, and I have a feeling that the fifth bowler will be severely tested in the semi-finals and final of this World Cup. Someone like Brad Hogg has impressed greatly, but he has had the advantage of bowling after very successful fast bowlers. If the Australian fast bowlers were to fail initially, Hogg bowling to a well-set Jayasuriya would be a sight worth watching .

The World Cup is now in its knock-out stages, and no team can afford to have even one bad period of play on the day. A dropped catch or a missed run-out chance could cost the team dearly, and I think it is here that Australia holds the advantage, for they are a brilliant fielding side and more often than not catch almost everything hit their way.

But then again, this is the semi-final of a World Cup, and there are genuine match-winners on both sides. I have a feeling that Muralitharan will be playing at a very different level on Tuesday, and that could very well turn the tide in Sri Lanka's favour.