After comprehensive warm-up defeats to World Cup favourites India and South Africa, the form of Australia's World Cup squad is suddenly under the microscope. After routing England 6-1 recently and with captain Ricky Ponting to return to the side, the signs looked positive before the two worrying collapses in Bangalore.

Of principal concern will be how spin has influenced the outcome of both trial matches.

India's Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh's combined 7/46 prompted Australia to lose its last nine wickets for just 58 runs in its first hit-out in World Cup conditions. Against South Africa, 2/128 became 217 all out, thanks largely to Robin Peterson's left-arm darts and Imran Tahir's variations. It helps of course when you have Dale Steyn to return to mop-up the tail.

Only Ponting, with consecutive 50s, and Michael Clarke have looked assured in the conditions. Those around them have looked unsure whether to stick or twist as the extra turn has confounded their decision-making. Fortunately, there is a month to endure before the tournament-proper kicks off, during which time a cavalcade of young Indian net bowlers will surely be employed to help the Australian batsmen adapt their techniques.

Australia's inability to combat spin with the bat is compounded by its lack of a quality spinner of its own. Frontline spinner Jason Krejza's combined figures from 20 overs in India are 1/102. Steve Smith has not been risked much in the warm-ups to protect a minor injury, while part-timers David Hussey and Clarke have so far looked exactly that.

Shorn of both Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty at a time when the country's spin-bowling stocks are at arguably their lowest ever level, it is unsurprising the National Selection Panel backed an attack based on pace. This strategy may still bring success but the early indications are that once the new-ball has been weathered, the flat, slow, Asian pitches will respond far more to subtle turn than raw aggression.

What does this mean for the starting XI?

The premise of selecting such a battery of destructive pace bowlers was to attack during the middle overs and remain a constant wicket-taking threat throughout. For that reason, Jason Krejza must be backed. In such conditions the Tasmanian becomes part of this strike-force and although he is likely to prove expensive, his wicket-taking potential should take precedence.

For the same reason, Steve Smith is a shoo-in, while David Hussey and Michael Clarke should now be viewed as batting all-rounders, with each likely to be required to bowl regularly throughout the tournament. The lower-order hitting of Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee guarantees their positions, with the final spot becoming a straight shootout between Shaun Tait, John Hastings and Doug Bollinger. Again, for pure wicket-taking potential I would have Tait in the box seat, ahead of Hastings' variations.

The batting pretty much selects itself. It is unlikely Tim Paine will now force his way ahead of Brad Haddin but adds depth to the squad simply as a batsman. Callum Ferguson will have to rely on injuries or catastrophic loss of form to Cameron White to stand any real chance of getting a game. One, more leftfield possibility for Ferguson is that Hussey, Clarke and Smith are trusted to bowl 20 overs between them, in which case Ferguson could be added as an extra batsman, at the expense of a bowler.

Australia begins its campaign for a fourth consecutive World cup on Monday in Ahmedabad against Zimbabwe.

BPL Australian World Cup XI:

Watson

Haddin

Ponting (c)

Clarke

Hussey

White

Smith

Johnson

Lee

Krejza

Tait