Big three, big ambitions

Pondering whom Australia might meet in the World Cup final on March 29, David Warner offered two names, one part of this triangular series and one not.

It was not surprising to hear Warner mention South Africa given their abundance of mature talent and familiarity with Australian conditions. More startling was Warner's contention that England would give a good account of themselves and be a strong chance for the final. Either way, India were left with reason to wonder why they did not rate a mention, given their preponderance of explosive batsmen and standing as defending champions.

There is something fitting about Australia, India and England crossing paths and swords as the prelude to the Cup. It was down under where the "big three" plans of N Srinivasan, Wally Edwards and Giles Clarke first loomed into view, when the three administrators wandered onto the middle of the WACA Ground together during a break in play at the third Ashes Test in December 2013.

A little more than a year on and their plans have come to fruition. The Future Tours Program has been dismantled and reassembled as a patchwork of bilateral agreements, the game's financial modeling has changed irrevocably, and the tournament in Australia will be the start of a sequence where every ICC event over the next eight years, including the popular World Twenty20 and the exhumed Champions Trophy, will be hosted by one of Australia, India or England.

The landscape in which the players are to battle one another has changed a good deal on the pitch too. Tighter fielding restrictions, allowing for only a maximum of four men outside the 30-yard circle at any time, have made life exceptionally difficult for bowlers of spin. Dual new balls at either end make for plenty of early movement but just as much free scoring - the possibility of reverse swing has also been reduced.

George Bailey, Australia's captain for now, believes the changes have encouraged higher scores but also made it more likely that the odd game will see quite the opposite, as greater risks are taken in search of richer rewards. The selection of Xavier Doherty epitomises the view that all but the most exceptionally gifted spin bowlers must be rigid in their obedience to accuracy, method and field settings over flair and flight.

"Particularly with spin, in many regards you are almost having to give up one side of the ground or give up a length," Bailey said. "So it does provide some challenges for them in some conditions that you get in Australia. I think it also provides good spinners opportunities as well because what you will find is that batsmen will tend to be slightly more aggressive towards the spin that will come on.

"That and the two new balls are the two biggest changes. Certainly on good wickets we have seen over the last 12-15 months ... it tends to send the scores either one way or the other. Scores have been pretty high or the two new balls have had an effect and it can really bring the scores down. It has been two really interesting dynamics. It does force captains to be a little more left field or a little bit more I guess open to options with what they can do with their fields and it can pose some challenges to bowlers late in the innings if you haven't taken many wickets."

Australia's greatest challenge for the moment is to try to plan two Cup scenarios - one that includes Michael Clarke and another that does not. Bailey will have the chance to get into a leadership groove during the triangular series, but will have Clarke's presence at training and rehab sessions as a reminder that things could go in a quite different direction. The hosts are flushed with batting options in particular, meaning Bailey could find himself either captain or drinks carrier within the space of a few days. Alongside Clarke and the hamstrung Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood are sitting out the early matches to replenish their energy after the Tests.

England have felt the refreshing winds of change since their selectors belatedly concluded Alastair Cook did not merit a place in their best 15. The hesitance of Cook's latter days at the top of the order could not have contrasted more sharply with the elegant power and ample confidence shown by Moeen Ali, who will have the advantage of unleashing his opening salvos on numerous teams yet to face him. Two of these, of course, are Australia and India. Though the sample size is small, there is every indication that England have found a winning path - something Warner clearly noticed.

"Certainly in an England shirt that I've played with, yeah," Morgan said of whether this was the most powerful England batting line-up he had seen. "The guys have unbelievable talent and attitude to the method we want to use. We've seen yesterday, and in stages over the last 12 months, that when we perform to our potential we're a dangerous side."

As Australia and England trained on the eve of the series opener in Sydney, India's players bestrode the roof of the Great Southern Stand at the MCG to unveil their new playing kits. They looked confident enough, and in Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and company they have batsmen capable of chasing down most targets. But looking down a bowling attack that is unchanged from the modest group toyed with by Steven Smith during the Border-Gavaskar Tests, it is apparent that they will need to. Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav hold few fears for opponents.

Nevertheless, the imminence of a World Cup will focus minds and bodies to reach for a pitch of performance higher than otherwise attained during the usual rounds of revenue-raising but otherwise aimless ODIs. It is the opinion of Cricket Australia's chairman Edwards that one-day internationals should be known as World Cup Cricket (TM). For the course of this triangular series at least, the title would be apt.