India call a huddle on Saturday (Getty Images).

By Myles Hodgson, PA Sport Cricket Correspondent, Johannesburg

Click here for Australia team section
Click here for India team section

India are attempting to take the excitement and anticipation out of their build-up to Sunday's World Cup final by sticking to the same basic routine which has aided their progress to The Wanderers.

With more and more Indian supporters arriving in Johannesburg to witness India's first World Cup final appearance since Kapil Dev held the trophy aloft at Lord's in 1983, the atmosphere has grown more and more fevered ever since their semi-final triumph over Kenya.

But while their practices are accompanied by the incessant drum beats and whistle-blowing of their supporters, coach John Wright and captain Sourav Ganguly have attempted to keep the players calm and relaxed as they approach the biggest match of their lives.

"It's much better to be relaxed before a game like this," said Ganguly.

"We've done exactly the same things we've done throughout the tournament.

"Whether that's in the nets, the tea-room or playing volleyball, we haven't changed anything - we've stuck to exactly the same routine that's brought us here, and I hope it will bring us similar success."

Nearly every member of the squad will have their own personal memories of that 1983 success and how it affected the cricket-loving Indian nation, which was almost brought to a standstill both during the match and in the celebrations afterwards.

From those memories alone, the players will be aware of the huge expectations from home as they attempt to stop Australia becoming the first side since the West Indies in 1975 and 1979 to retain the trophy.

Yet Ganguly is keen to make history of his own against Australia on Sunday and would rather not saddle his talented side with the extra pressure of emulating the 1983 side.

"It's a big achievement for any sporting nation to reach the World Cup final, and it's no different for me and my team. But we must make sure we are on the winning side - that means more than anything," he said.

"When India won the World Cup in 1983 it inspired cricketers in India. But it is a long time ago - 20 years ago - and we're in the World Cup final again now, and I hope we can repeat that success.

"After the Kenya game we got into a huddle and we said how well we'd done to get as far as the World Cup final. We are just one game away from being world champions but we are going to have to play extremely well to achieve that."

India will at least begin the final in the certain knowledge they are the people's favourites with the South African crowds, resentful of Australia's success in the absence of their own team from the latter stages of the tournament.

Ganguly is nonetheless among those who admire Australia and their domination of cricket in both forms of the game and he believes the criticism they have received during the tournament is undeserved.

"You have to give credit to Australia because they've played well and they've played well in foreign countries, so I don't think it's right for anyone to start saying it's bad for the game," he said.

"We should be looking at how well they've played and try to raise the standards of cricket around the world."

India are expected to name an unchanged side for Sunday's final - with wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul Dravid, who injured a finger during Thursday's semi-final victory, successfully coming through a fitness test at Saturday's practice session.