Australia's Twenty20 team are eying off a shot at joining world cricket's greatest-ever teams in an exclusive group of sides to successfully defend an ICC World Cup crown.
Battling for wins on the eve of the T20 World Cup, the hosts will still enter the Super 12 stage as favourites as they look to back up their shock maiden Twenty20 World Cup victory in the UAE last year.
In men's cricket history, only the great West Indies team of the 1970s and Australia's all-conquering group from the turn of this century have been able to pull off the feat in the 50-over game.
None have done so in the T20 format, despite tournaments being played more regularly and theoretically less turnover in squads between tournaments.
Aaron Finch's men enter the tournament still ranked only No.5 in the world, with last year's success in Dubai coming after years of under-performing in the format.
But despite a tough lead in to start this summer, pace spearhead Pat Cummins insists the side is now better placed after defying the odds to win last year's title.
"I think in some ways we are even better prepared," the quick said.
"We have played a lot more and we have drawn on the experiences from last year.
"In saying that T20 is a very fickle format. You look around and there are probably four or five teams that realistically could win it."
Australia have only one change from the group that won last year's World Cup, with Tim David set to play a role in the middle-order and Mitchell Swepson dropping out of the 15-man squad.
Cummins is also among a group of seven players left in Australia's squad from their 2015 one-day World Cup success on home soil, becoming the only Australians to play two home World Cups.
But most players are also well aware it will be their last, with Australia not due to host another global men's event until 2028.
Captain Aaron Finch (35) has already announced his retirement from ODIs, while David Warner (35), Matt Wade (34), Glenn Maxwell (33) and Steve Smith (33) headline a list of 11 players aged over 30.
England loom as Australia's biggest challengers, having dominated white-ball cricket for the past six years but so far have claimed just one major trophy.
New Zealand are also constant threats in global tournaments, with the Black Caps featuring alongside Australia, England, Afghanistan and two qualifiers in Group One and only two to advance.
It makes Australia's first-up game against their trans-Tasman rivals at the SCG on Saturday night crucial, with the loser likely facing four must-win matches to recover to qualify for the semi-finals.
India and Pakistan will be the likely favourites to progress from Group B, with South Africa the other big threat in their pool.
"(Saturday) is going to be huge," Cummins said.
"There are only five round games so you can't start off slow.
"I believe it is just about a sell-out and a home game for a lot of us Sydney folk.
"Playing on the world stage in a World Cup is one of those moments you might only get one chance in a lifetime at."
