Langer request fires up Aussies for final chorus

The desire to fulfil a wish of caretaker coach Justin Langer has given Australia extra motivation to win the ODI tri-series final in Barbados on Monday morning (AEST).

Australia secured their spot in the series decider with a tense six-wicket victory over the West Indies on Wednesday and will take on the winner of the clash between the Windies and South Africa on Saturday morning (AEST).

A win for Australia would mean they get another opportunity to sing their team song 'Under the Southern Cross I Stand', a tradition that is observed after every Test victory and every series triumph in ODI and T20 cricket.

And as a former custodian of the song during his playing days, Langer wants to experience it again.

Langer assumed the role of leading the team song in 2004 when Ricky Ponting took over the captaincy of the side, with Langer holding the position of song master until he retired in 2007 and passed the baton on to Michael Hussey.

Hussey then handed the title to Nathan Lyon in 2013 and the spinner famously led his teammates in song following the completion of their Ashes whitewash at the SCG 12 months later.

Lyon's absence from the limited overs sides in recent years – although he is part of this Qantas Tour of the West Indies – has seen David Warner (currently injured) or Matthew Wade take on the role for series victories in white-ball cricket.

Langer, a passionate advocate of the traditions of Australian cricket, enjoyed the song again during his time as batting coach between 2009 and 2012 and is hoping to hear it one more time before he hands the coaching reins back to Darren Lehmann.

"He gave us one wish before this game; he misses singing the team song so he wants to sing it one more time," said allrounder Mitchell Marsh, whose relationship with Langer extends back to the early 1990s when the current coach and Mitchell's father Geoff played together with Western Australia.

"So that's fired us up for this final now.

"It's obviously nice to have him here, we've got a great relationship and he's been great around the group. Everyone's enjoying having him here."

While the team song is one ritual the Australians will be hoping to tap into after the final, there's another tradition they will use to inspire them during the match itself.

Australia have an impressive recent record in sudden-death ODIs, having won nine of 12 matches in either tournament finals or series-deciding games in the past five years.

And the Aussies are historically hard to beat in major tournament deciders as well, having won five from seven World Cup finals and two from two in the Champions Trophy.

And after holding their nerve in a must-win situation against the Windies, Marsh says the inexperienced side can handle the pressure again.

"That's certainly something we speak about as a group and I think it's instilled in us as Australians," he said.

"We really try and get up for the big games. Today was certainly one of them, it was a knockout game.

"So I think for us to perform like that, certainly as a whole batting group it'll give us a lot of confidence heading into the final.

"We don't care who we play (in the final)

"I think when you get to a final, it doesn't matter who you're playing. You get up for it, you do your homework and get ready to perform."