NZ vs ? You make the call

5:00 pm on 26 March 2015

Timing has a lot to do with choices. It's also an important word in cricket.

India and Australia vied for the second berth in Sunday's Cricket World Cup final on Thursday. New Zealand, of course, lay in wait.

Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum said in the aftermath of his side's incredible last over defeat of South Africa that "we don't mind who we face in the final".

"They are both quality sides but we know if we play the way we want to we are a good chance."

McCullum may have considered a different answer - even if he didn't voice it - if you'd asked him the same question in January.

Indian batsman Virat Kohli in action during the ICC Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. Sunday 15 February 2015.

Virat Kohli. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

A month out from the tournament India were coming off a terrible run in Australia - they were easily beaten 2-0 in the test series and looked, in the one-day tri-series, as if they'd rather be at the beach. They even failed to beat England. Ouch.

It appeared to be the Jekyll and Hyde side of old: great at home, awful away. Chuck in their talismanic captain MS Dhoni announcing his retirement from test cricket mid-tour, and the reigning one-day world champs were looking down and under in the Southern Hemisphere.

But what a difference a couple of months makes. On the field it has been all Jekyll, with star player Virat Kohli throwing a dash of Hyde in off it.

India, like New Zealand, are unbeaten. They've got their hunger for big runs back and that's helped the bowlers no end.

Australia like to be more Hyde on the field and it often works for them. Their pace attack is brutal. Mitchell Johnson's delivery which slammed into McCullum's arm during their huge round-robin battle the perfect example.

Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The batting, with David Warner, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke and Glenn Maxwell, also isn't short on bite. New Zealand did rattle them in pool play but that just made Mitchell Starc angry too and that wasn't terribly pleasant.

Choices, choices; some times it's better to let someone else make them… Radionz.co.nz readers certainly prefer India as final opponents, with nearly two-thirds favouring the reigning champions in a non-scientific poll.

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