Last chance for Australia to experiment

BANGALORE, Mar 15 (AFP): Australia head into their penultimate group match against Canada Wednesday knowing it is likely to be the last time in this World Cup they can tinker with their line-up. The reigning champions eased into the quarter-finals with an unconvincing 60-run win against Kenya at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. Australia captain Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first and Kenya's spirited effort in making 264 for six in reply to the champions' 324-6 ensured the match went the full 100 overs. The game was Australia's first complete match in more than a fortnight following their no-result washout against co-hosts Sri Lanka. But several frontline batsmen, including Ponting himself, did not spend as much time in the middle as they would have liked, while all of Australia's spinners went wicketless. With tougher challenges ahead, Australia may decide to rest one of their pace trio of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and the injury-prone Shaun Tait for the Canada match, with back-up seamer John Hastings champing at the bit. Australia, bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in all, may be the only unbeaten side in this tournament but they have yet to be tested ahead of their final Group A match against Pakistan in Colombo Saturday. The result of that match could have a major bearing on Australia's quarter-final opponents, with the titleholders' net run-rate -- damaged by Kenya's defiance with the bat.