England surprised one and all by getting the better of World Champions Australia in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. This win proved the Aussies are not invincible and any team willing to take the fight to the Australians can humble this great side.

Here are a few of the ingredients England used to get the better of Australia and which other teams also must try out if they want to upset the Australian applecart.

Take your chances: Don't drop any catches. Trescothick put down Gilchrist early in the innings but got another chance and did not commit any blunder the next time. This might prove really expensive on other days as a batsman like Gilchrist is capable of turning any match on its head single-handedly. It is important to take all the chances offered by the Australians to have a decent chance of beating the Aussies. Otherwise, they will come really hard at you and make you pay for your mistakes. Remember Herschelle Gibbs dropping Steve Waugh (and the World Cup in the process as Waugh told him)

Keep attacking the batsman: The Australians always try to disturb the opposition bowlers' rhythm. So it is important for the bowlers to play the mind games well. You should keep attacking the batsman in the first 15 overs when they really throw the bat at everything. Unless you don't have fielders in catching position, life for the batsman will become very easy. It is a sought of gamble which you have to take because it might backfire and you might go for plenty.

Try to match the Australian fielding standards: Aussie fieldsmen save at least 20 to 30 runs a game. And no more often than not, it turns out to be the difference between victory and defeat. To match the Aussies, you have to lift your fielding standards and not allow the batsman to take too many quick singles or extra runs. A poor fielding outfit will find it very difficult to defeat the World Champions, as the runs given away in the field may prove very vital in the end.

Have a surprise or two in store: Give the Aussies something that they don't expect. Michael Vaughan brought himself into the attack at a very crucial stage in the semi-finals and it proved to be a masterstroke as the Australians struggled to get him away. It was a great surprise element that helped England in a big way. Teams must find out how the can unsettle the Australians with such uncanny tactics. If you aren't willing to take such chances against the Aussies, you chances of coming out victors are minimal.

Don't let Mcgrath settle: Glenn Mcgrath is undoubtedly the greatest weapon in the Australian bowling armoury. If he is allowed to settle into a good line and length, the Australians will get right on top. The opposition batsmen have to take some risks and hit him over the top. The chances of succeeding in such an endeavour has increased now that Mcgrath has lost some pace after injury. Trescothick some boundaries in Mcgrath's one over set the ball rolling for the Poms and they never looked back after that. Sachin Tendulkar has often shown in the past that Mcgrath is vulnerable under pressure. True it might also work against you as New Zealand found out. But it is worth taking the chance as the back up bowlers are not as effective if Mcgrath fails. This was clearly evident in their semi-final encounter.

Run well between wickets: Apart from attacking their main bowler, it is also essential to run well between wickets. With such a great fielding unit, you won't get too many boundaries once the fielding restrictions are off. So it is very important to keep rotating the strike and put the fielders under pressure. Even the best can crumble in tense situations.

Hope for luck on your side: Trescothick dropped Gilchrist and it did not cost England much. Andrew Symonds ran himself out. These are the sort of lucky breaks you need to get past the Aussies. It is said, "Fortune favours the brave". The Englishmen were courageous enough to take some risks against the Aussies and duly deserved their share of luck.

If you still can't defeat the Aussies with all the above-mentioned ingredients, just accept you lost to the best team in the world and be proud you put up a great fight.