Midge to step in in 2 Ws' place
Australia captain Michael Clarke expects temperamental opener David Warner to be on his best behaviour in Thursday's World Cup semifinal against India, but Mitchell Johnson is ready to step up the sledging war.
Warner, who has already been warned twice for on-field verbal sledges, faces suspension from the final, should Australia qualify, if he is found guilty of another misdemeanour at the Sydney Cricket ground.
"David will be fine," Clarke told reporters on Wednesday. "He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no different than the rest of ours."
But fast bowler Johnson said he did not expect any let up in Australia's aggressive approach, and was even willing to take the lead if Warner did not sledge.
"I heard Davey [Warner] say he was not going to get involved in all that stuff," Johnson told Fox Sports. "Someone has got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It's part of the game."
Meanwhile all-rounder Shane Watson accepted he too was on thin ice after being fined for exchanging words with Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz during Australia's quarterfinal victory.
"I don't want to get fined again or get suspended so I know I'm going to have to be even more diligent with what I say, when I say it and how I say it," Watson said.
"Based on my last fine, I am just about on my last warning.
"It's definitely going to be very hard-fought out there and we're going to have to be very careful not to step over the line."
Warner has kept a lid on things since being fined for demanding Rohit Sharma speak English in a one-dayer at the MCG, where the right-hander insulted the Australian in Hindi.
Sharma, who scored a century in his side's quarterfinal win over Bangladesh, promised there would be no let-up in India's aggressive approach.
"If there is a bit of banter going around, so be it," Sharma said. "It's part of the game."
Clarke agreed there would be sledging in the match, but noted it wasn't a focus for his side.
"It's really important we focus on what's important and that is playing our best cricket," he said.
The International Cricket Council faced criticism for being heavy-handed in fining both Wahab and Watson, but chief executive David Richardson insisted they had done the right thing.
"I enjoyed the competitiveness ... it was just a pity it extended later in the game to something you wouldn't want your kids to see," said Richardson.
Brian Lara and many other pundits have questioned the fines handed down to Watson and Riaz after their entertaining duel last week.
Richardson rejected the tag of fun police and noted "generally player behaviour has been excellent".
Australia and India have had a tumultuous relationship on and off the field in recent years.
The bad blood showed up during India's Test and one-day series in Australia prior to the World Cup when heated on-field exchanges led to several players being penalised.
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