What's new

ICC World Cup 2019 Preview: Enormous pressure on India's top 3 batsmen to deliver

MenInG

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
218,056
Many thanks to [MENTION=25545]giri26[/MENTION] for this writeup


India have been one of the best teams in the world over the last few years in limited overs format. They have been lagging behind the world number one ranked England side and have done extremely well against all the opponents during that time. The ICC tournaments invariably has the Indian team as the favourites for some time now due to their consistent performances over the years and the two-time champions were the semi-finalists the last time in 2015. The Indian team has always been a batting heavy team but now armed with a potent bowling attack as well they are one of the teams to watch out for.


new-zealand-v-india-odi-game-2_2d7c629e-7c3e-11e9-8a88-8b84fe2ad6da.jpg


Strengths:

Indian batting has always been their strength and this time as well they come with arguably the best top 3 in limited overs cricket in the world. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have 24208 ODI runs between them with 79 tons. They will once again play a crucial role in India’s progress in this competition. Contrary to the previous World Cups where the Indian batting dominated, India come well equipped with some very dependable bowling stars as well this time. Jasprit Bumrah is ranked the best bowler in the ODI format and rightfully so. He has been brilliant for India and has been a crucial cog in the Indian side in all 3 formats in recent times. The spin twins of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have changed the landscape of Indian bowling in the middle overs with their attacking leg-spin. India also have Bhuvneshwar Kumar who can be good in these conditions and Mohammed Shami who has been brilliant since his return to white ball cricket. Hardik Pandya as the all-rounder also adds a new dimension to the team and has been in brilliant form recently.


Weaknesses:

Despite having such a star-filled top 3 in their batting line-up, India does struggle with their middle-order in ODIs. They have in recent times tried various options and have failed to nail down the right combination which means middle order is one of the weaknesses for this Indian team going into the World Cup. Vijay Shankar for all the talent he has is a newbie who has just played 9 ODIs so far and Kedar Jadhav who is making a comeback after injury might be a little rusty. MS Dhoni who has been the lynch pin of the Indian batting over the years has not been his own self recently and the positions 4,5,6 is a major worry for India going into an important tournament like the World Cup. The pressure on the top 3 is enormous as they cannot afford to have a poor tournament.


Players to watch:

The Indian top 3 will once again be the once to watch out for this tournament. All three of them have been in good touch and have done great things in ODI cricket over the years. They will once again will be crucial for India’s chances. Jasprit Bumrah also will be another player to watch out for as he enters this tournament as the best bowler in this format. On these wickets in England where there seems to be lots of runs, his bowling and wicket taking ability will be crucial in restricting the opposition to reasonable totals.


Prediction:

India have been one of the best teams in the ODI format over the years and are for sure expected to make the final four of the competition even this time around. Even though there are minor weaknesses in the squad the overall quality of the side means that India are the favourites to not only reach the finals but also to win the competition.


Indian Squad:

Shikhar Dhawan
Rohit Sharma (VC)
Virat Kohli (C)
Vijay Shankar
Kedar Jadhav
MS Dhoni (WK)
Hardik Pandya
Kuldeep Yadav
Mohammed Shami
Yuzvendra Chahal
Jasprit Bumrah
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Ravindra Jadeja
Dinesh Karthik (WK)
KL Rahul
 
Ravindra Jadeja insists India have no reason to be worried despite suffering defeat to New Zealand in their opening warm-up match at The Oval.

India are one of the favourites to win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup but were bowled out for 179 by a New Zealand side, spearheaded by four wickets for swing bowler Trent Boult.

Kane Williamson’s side duly knocked off the 180-run target with six wickets and almost 13 overs to spare, the captain and Ross Taylor both striking half-centuries.

It marked a disappointing opening for Virat Kohli’s side but with one further warm-up match to come against Bangladesh on Tuesday, there is little cause for concern for Jadeja – India’s top scorer with the bat.

“Whenever you play in England, it’s always difficult,” said the 30-year-old. “You have low bounce in India, then you come here and the wicket can have a little bit in it.

“We still have a little bit of time to work on it, we don’t have to worry, just keep playing our good cricket.

“We focused on momentum, if we get that then we play according to the situation. Batting in England can be tough, as a batting unit we’ll have more focus on our skills.

“It will come, everyone has a lot of experience so we’re happy.

“This is our first game, there isn’t anything to worry about as a batting unit, we have a lot of experience and it’s just one game, you can’t really judge it for one bad innings.”

The damage was done early after India elected to bat, with Kohli the fourth man to fall with just 10.3 overs on the board as Boult and Colin de Grandhomme struck early.

From 39-4 India needed to rebuild and they did so through Jadeja, striking six fours and two sixes in his 50-ball 54 as conditions eased into the middle overs in London.

Hardik Pandya also hung around for 30 but three wickets for Jimmy Neesham restricted India to 179, a total which New Zealand chased down for the loss of four wickets within 38 overs.

But Jadeja was among those happy with the outing, with work in the nets paying off as he looks to keep up his secondary function alongside spin bowling.

“I was batting and working on things during the Indian Premier League, whenever I get the opportunity between the matches, I work on my basic technique and shot selection,” he added.

“Conditions were tough, particularly for English conditions, you expect there to be something for 15-20 overs, but it was getting better and better.

“We hope that we get a different wicket in matches, with not as much grass on there for our batting.”
 
India and England are favorites to win the world cup so naturally, expectations are high, although they have veterans like Dhoni to guide them should they find themselves in a pinch.
 
India ( on series of near perfect days) are favorites. Otherwise they are one of the least favorite. Basically india can win easily or lose badly depending on whether the selected inviduals click or not. In good batting conditions India goes in with 3 good batsmen. in bowling conditions just Kohli can counter. Rest will fold. This is exactly the feeling we had before CT 2017. But due to fluky format India reached the final despite losing to Srilanka. I very much doubt Indian top order keep on cilcking in every single match and Bumrah delivering every single match
 
Surely, the top 3 for every team will be under pressure to perform? The top 3 set the foundations for the innings, if they all fail, then any team will be under pressure.
 
It seems pretty similar to Pakistan's situation where we will be relying on our top 3 to get solid starts as our own middle order isn't that strong. However, the advantage India has is that they are a much better team overall.
 
Ours is the most unbalanced team in the tournament. The gulf in quality between top 3 and rest of the batting line up is so vast, remove them cheaply and we will lose almost all matches.
 
India are genuine contenders as well as long as their top order has a great World Cup.
 
Swashbuckler said:
Ours is the most unbalanced team in the tournament. The gulf in quality between top 3 and rest of the batting line up is so vast, remove them cheaply and we will lose almost all matches.
Click to expand...

How exactly? You have champ MSD, a very capable batting AR in pandya, 2 other batter one of whom is ranked higher than Babar by many indians(KRL), and if sill you are insecure, then you can drop 1 leggie and play Jadeja.
 
What the batting lacks is flair! Raina, Yuvaraj... had that in the previous teams... So those teams had complete batting package.. But those teams lacked the bowling depth, this team has good bowling unit. (If Sri Lanka had posted 300-350 in the finals exploiting the bowling weaknesses, they would have had better chance! And the whole angle would have changed and people would have discussed about our weakness - bowling and the batting strength would have got sidelined! That's exactly what happened in 2015...)

Hence even this team is capable of winning many matches because the bowling is good and if the Top 3 click then its game over for the opposition (the other - positive side of looking at it!) So opposition also play an important role - like how they deal with our team! If they plan properly and if they have the right resources, then they have every chance of attacking us! (A very good left arm pacer who can swing the ball & if there is something in the pitch, then they have real chance against India which we have seen in some matches!)

That's why I kept on insisting on strengthening the loopholes in the team right since 2-3 years! Whenever we said the necessity of fast inclusion of young blood like Pant, Shaw, Gill, etc, (flair factor!) sadly some people accused that we are only IPL fans for bringing these names and we are not concerned about the Indian Team & its balance!
 
The only thing that can halt India is their thinking that top three will be under huge pressure. Common guys!
Remember India is the only team in the world which still takes cautious starts, specially top three (although they are one of the strongest batting in the world). In top 4-5 teams, perhaps they would be the ones to makes least number of bigger totals batting first.
This is not the tournament of 300 runs, you have to go for 350 all the time to be competitive. I know they are the most versatile bowing unit but you can't demand so much from bowling all the time.
So my advice to Kohli and Co would be to go for the kill right from the word GO!
 
Captain caveman said:
M. Hafeez, safaraz, malik/asif ali- is it worse tha this?
Click to expand...

It's about the same.

Vijay Shankar was a bowling all-rounder an year ago and suddenly he is specialist No. 4. Kedar Jadhav isn't 100%, and this version of Dhoni is worrying, though in the past he was a GOAT level player.

Also, Pakistan bat till 10. India bats till 7 and that's a huge difference people are not realizing. There's a difference between Hasan, Wahab and even Hasnain and Shaheen who can all slog versus Bumrah, Chahal, Shami etc who can barely hold a bat.
 
India’s batting idn’t That good but they look to have a very good bowling line up. Their bowling can win them matches.
 
ali2220 said:
How exactly? You have champ MSD, a very capable batting AR in pandya, 2 other batter one of whom is ranked higher than Babar by many indians(KRL), and if sill you are insecure, then you can drop 1 leggie and play Jadeja.
Click to expand...
Rohit
S.dhawan
V.kohli
V.shankar{he is a proper batsmen}
Ms.dhoni
K.jadhav
H.pandya
B.kumar
J.bumrah
M.shami
Y.chahal
If pandya goes for runs v.shankar and jadhav can bowl
 
CricketAnalyst said:
It's about the same.

Vijay Shankar was a bowling all-rounder an year ago and suddenly he is specialist No. 4. Kedar Jadhav isn't 100%, and this version of Dhoni is worrying, though in the past he was a GOAT level player.

Also, Pakistan bat till 10. India bats till 7 and that's a huge difference people are not realizing. There's a difference between Hasan, Wahab and even Hasnain and Shaheen who can all slog versus Bumrah, Chahal, Shami etc who can barely hold a bat.
Click to expand...

Pakistan bat till 10 and cant beat afghanistan team what a joke
 
Bumrah and Kohli have the pressure. Both rated as the best in their departments.
 
Don't think so.

Hardik Pandya is going to be the only difference between India and other teams. As long as he is there we are in safe hands. :inti
 
KL Rahul insists he’s happy to play in any position – but he did a stellar job of staking his claim to India’s No.4 slot in Cardiff.

India’s top three – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli – seems cast in stone while MS Dhoni anchors the middle order.

No.4 remains one of the toughest positions in one-day cricket but Rahul’s classy century against Bangladesh in the final ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 warm-up makes him appear a choice straight from central casting.

“I’m really happy with how I’ve bounced back and this gives me lots of confidence,” said Rahul.

“When you play at this level you have to handle the pressure and the responsibility. We know we have to be tried and tested.

“Where I play is not for me to decide. It’s a team game and you need to be flexible. You need to be ready to bat, whatever you are given, you have to take what is thrown at you.

“Everyone seems to have great confidence with bat and ball, everyone is in great nick. These matches have been a great opportunity to get used to the 50-over format after coming from the IPL.”

In his last game Rahul was skittled by New Zealander Trent Boult for just six – this time around he made no mistake, lifting the pressure on coach Ravi Shastri and captain Kohli as they finalise plans for the opening match against South Africa next Wednesday.

A classy 108 off 99 balls won’t find its way into the record books – these matches are not full internationals – but it certainly won’t mean any less.

Rahul went big hit for big hit with Dhoni in a 164-run partnership, firing 12 fours and four sixes before his eventual dismissal by Sabbir Rahman.

“Batting with Dhoni is always a dream for me. I’ve been lucky we have been able to share a few big partnerships over the years,” he added.

“He just dominated the spinners and is striking the ball so well. It’s a great sign for us and it’s just a pleasure to watch him from the other end when he is playing like that.”

Rahul also insists his time away from the Indian team earlier this year has made him hungrier for success.

“It can give a player new perspective, a chance to reflect,” he said.

“I spent time with friends and family and made the best of the situation. I spent the time working on my batting and technique and understanding how you manage things when your form is not so good. I was just hungry to come back and score runs.”
 
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/339077250" width="640" height="361" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>.
 
Virat Kohli In Injury Scare Ahead Of India's World Cup Opener Against South Africa

India captain Virat Kohli "is doing fine" despite being hit on his thumb while batting in the nets ahead of the team's World Cup opener against South Africa in Southampton on Wednesday. "He got hit while batting but is doing fine. There is nothing to worry as of now," team sources told PTI. Kohli hurt his thumb during a training session at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday, prompting physiotherapist Patrick Farhat to attend to the Indian skipper.

Farhat was first seen using magic spray on the injured finger and then applied tape on it.

Later Kohli was seen leaving the field with his thumb dipped in a glass of ice.

India, one of the favourites for the title, were hit by injuries in the run up to the World Cup.

While all-rounder Vijay Shankar had to sit out of the warm-up game against New Zealand after hurting his elbow, Kedar Jadhav is still recovering from a shoulder injury he picked up during IPL and missed India''s both warm-up games against the Kiwis and Bangladesh.

Jadhav, a key figure in India''s middle-order, batted in the nets on Saturday, an indication that he could be fit in time for the game against South Africa.

The Indian team has an off day on Sunday.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/vir...nst-south-africa-2046780?pfrom=home-sshowcase
 
Bhuvneshwar Kumar targets return to Lord’s

Bhuvneshwar Kumar hopes his love affair with Lord’s continues at the ICC Cricket Men’s World Cup this summer.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar hopes his love affair with Lord’s continues at the ICC Cricket Men’s World Cup this summer.

The 29-year-old is forever etched into the history of the famous ground as the chief architect of India’s first Test win there in 24 years.

Bhuvneshwar took 6/82 and struck 52 to engineer a memorable victory for MS Dhoni’s side at headquarters back in 2014, his first overseas tour with India.

And with Lord’s providing the stage for the Cricket World Cup final on 14 July, the seamer is plotting his path to St John’s Wood already.

“I’ve been here two or three times but I always like coming back to play in England,” he said.

“It would mean a lot to get to go back to Lord’s for the final of the World Cup.

“Lord’s is always a special place, not just for me but for any cricketer.

“I have very good memories there, so if we reach the final it will be a very big moment for not just me but for the whole team.”

Suggestions that India have gone into the World Cup a fast bowler light were further quashed in their warm-up win over Bangladesh.

A powerful batting performance from KL Rahul and MS Dhoni, both reaching three figures, thrilled a sizeable Indian support in Cardiff.

But Bhuvneshwar again proved his mastery of English conditions, returning 0/19 from a disciplined five overs.

The fast bowler takes his wickets at 28.72 apiece in England, compared to a career ODI average of 35.66.

As India contemplate a week before their opening World Cup contest against South Africa, Bhuvneshwar was encouraged by Tuesday’s win.

“It was a really good performance,” he said.

“We got everything we wanted out of the match; when it comes to batting, bowling and fielding.

“You don’t think much about the results when it comes to practice matches, you focus on what you can get out of the game.

“You get a lot of confidence from having that score on the board. Chasing 350 down is a very big task.

“There’s always extra belief when you go to bowl. You have the liberty to try and extra few things.

“In these kind of wickets, these are flat batting wickets so you want to keep it tight and let the batsmen make mistakes.”
 
There is something about ICC World Cups where inevitably the relationship between Indian media and the national team becomes frosty.

It wasn't great during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and the start seemed to have been on a discordant note during this edition as well after the Indian media contingent decided to boycott an interaction session with net bowlers Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed.

With two days left for India's first game against South Africa, it was expected that at least coach Ravi Shastri or a senior player or support staff would address the media as it has been the norm in any bilateral series with skipper Virat Kohli coming on the pre-match day.

However, to everyone's disbelief, Indian team's media manager informed the waiting journalists that since Chahar and Avesh are going back on Tuesday (Khaleel is staying back), it was felt that they should get an opportunity to interact with the media.

Livid with decision, senior members of the fraternity protested vehemently to this outrageous idea and he was told that if the team wants to cancel the session, they are free to do so as it is unfair both for the media as well as the two youngsters, who don't have any authority to answer team related queries.

When asked why no player or support staff was made available, the media manager said that it was done since India haven't started its World Cup campaign yet.

The logic didn't seem convincing as it has never happened two days before a marquee event. It seemed more like a case where the Indian media was being told that you have to make do with whatever we make available for you.

This seemed to be in complete contrast with the relationship that the jumbo Bangladeshi media share with their 'Tigers' or even the handful of Pakistani journalists with their players.

Many were reminded of the 2015 World Cup, when there was a complete gag on media save pre and post-match days and skipper Dhoni would come for every post-match interaction instead of day's performer, who would be interviewed by the official BCCI website.

Bumrah called for a random dope test:

The Indian players may have had issues with NADA conducted dope tests but at the global event, there's no such problem.

On Monday, it was the turn of premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was picked up for the random test conducted by the WADA accredited agency. There is no specific system that is followed and it could be anybody who could be called for providing their urine sample.

Rohit takes a knock during throwdowns, carries on without fuss:

Rohit Sharma in full flow is a treat to watch even during training sessions and the Indian bowlers were seen getting a taste of their vice-captain's touch ahead of the first game against South Africa.

Rohit looked in perfect control as he hooked Mohammed Shami behind square and Khaleel Ahmed was pulled in front of the square as they both tried to test him with short balls. But the maximum punishment was reserved for Yuzvendra Chahal, who was dispatched into stands on more than one occasion.

However, there was a fleeting moment of a scare when he started taking throwdowns at the other net where a ball took off awkwardly and hit him on the gloves. For a couple of minutes, he seemed in some pain as the support staff rushed to check on him. It seemed fine as he continued batting without any discomfort after that.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...cup-england-win-nottingham-1542057-2019-06-04
 
The India bowling attack is something!

4670021a-72cb-4555-a63a-b4835aff9df7.jpg
 
Fielding not that good

Catches were good but a misfield for 4 and a slow return to allow 3 runs to SA - not good
 
Hitman hits an unbeaten ton.

One of the three must always score a big one for India.
 
Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten century is the biggest plus for India as they get up and running

Rohit Sharma’s return to form is the biggest positive for India after the first game of the tournament.

Opening batsmen are crucial at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and Sharma more than anyone has that ability to turn it on.

He can go from first gear to fourth gear in an instant and just kick on from there and keep clicking through the gears. For India, having someone who can go and get not just hundreds but even double hundreds is a major asset and also relieves the pressure on Virat Kohli a little.

The trio of Shikhar Dhawan, Sharma and Kohli will be crucial to India’s chances so it is a great sign that Sharma got a hundred and saw them over the line.

He did not need to ramp it up against South Africa, who had not scored enough runs in Southampton, but that knock will do him a lot of good.

The other standout performer was Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball. He really rattled the South Africans with his opening spell and that set the tone for the game.

Of course South Africa look a little demoralised after a tough start to the tournament, but his bowling was fantastic.

It feels like South Africa are very reliant on Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis, so to get De Kock early was key.

When you have Bumrah taking wickets early and forcing the opposition onto the defensive, that makes it easier for the spinners afterwards.

Yuzvendra Chahal, in particular, and Kuldeep Yadav were then able to keep the pressure on and Chahal’s four wickets will give him a lot of confidence.

I probably would have picked Mohammad Shami, and I still expect him to play a part in this tournament, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar took his chance well.

It will be an interesting selection dilemma throughout and I expect them to adapt depending on the wicket and the opposition.

While Sharma was the only person who really kicked on with the bat, the other thing that impressed me with the India innings was the partnerships.

I think it is true in all formats that partnerships win matches. You cannot rely on the individuals, and that was very impressive from India to see significant partnerships from a few players.

Australia next up will be a step up and India will probably have to improve at the Oval but overall it was a promising start. From my own experience in 1983, winning the opening game of the tournament gave us the impetus to go on and win the whole thing, so it was important for India to start with a victory.

It is obviously still very early with most teams having only played one or two games but I think Australia and India are both contenders to make the semi-finals.

For me, it will be those two and England, despite their loss to Pakistan and then probably one of West Indies or New Zealand.

That could change of course but if that is how it turns out, then the match between India and Australia takes on even greater importance and should be a great game on Sunday.

ICC Media
 
8 June - Oval - India player Rohit Sharma pre-match press conference

Q. Rohit, firstly, congrats on the hundred. And your record against Australia is very good, but on this ground India has not done very well of late. How do you think of today's match?
ROHIT SHARMA: Today's match?

Q. Sorry, tomorrow's.
ROHIT SHARMA: Yeah, I think in the World Cup, we have seen it, you just have to turn up on that day and play good cricket. What we have done in the past is past, so I think we as a team totally believe that we have to be particularly better on that particular day. Yes, we've had good rivalry between the two teams in the last few months that we played good competition between bat and ball. We played really good cricket in Australia, they played really good cricket in India. So it's going to be a great contest.

We have to be good on that day, and we will try and focus on that particular aspect rather than thinking what sort of record we have on this particular ground. I think it doesn't matter, we have to quickly assess the conditions because condition is playing a huge part in this World Cup as we have seen. For us, it will be the same. Just turn up and try and have a good day, do your skills, basics right and then things will follow.

Q. (No microphone.)
ROHIT SHARMA: Yeah, I've had a good time, but again, I'm somebody who will not look too much in the future as to what has happened. Of course it gives me confidence to go into the game knowing that, but for me, that particular day will be important, which is tomorrow. So I have to be ready and make sure that I get the job done for the team.

Q. Rohit, Aaron seemed to suggest that the recent series would have a big impact on the match tomorrow. Do you think so, and what kind of impact do you think it can have?
ROHIT SHARMA: Like I said, we've had success against each other. We had success in Australia, they had success in India recently. But again, tomorrow's game will all depend on how we play on that particular day. I guess it's the same for them, as well, because we have seen one or two individuals can take the game away from you. What we have done in the past is past. We have to be good on that particular day, which is tomorrow, and we will try and focus on that, because I totally believe that because it's World Cup and the format is such that you play different opposition every time, and it's not a Bilateral Series, so you have to focus on that particular day and that particular team on that day. We have done our preparation. We have had a good chat about what we want to do as a team, and yes, probably we all are ready for the game tomorrow.

Q. We've all heard Virat Kohli's comments on your hundred against South Africa. Where does it rank for you, and how much satisfaction do you take from it given the fact it's a World Cup opener?
ROHIT SHARMA: Yeah, I think it was a massive confidence booster in terms of heading into the tournament. All the cricketers in this tournament want to start well, and it gives you that momentum going into the tournament. And yes, particularly talking about that particular innings, I felt it was not the way I would like to play. Something unusual for me, but obviously you have to respect the conditions, at times the bowlers, as well, which is probably the reason I would say probably one of the best I would say. Not the best, but yes, probably one of the best, I would rate that knock amongst the best at the top because it was not the easiest of the conditions. Although, yes, we were chasing not such a high amount of score, but still, it was not that easy. Throughout the hundred overs that we played, there was something in for the bowlers. At times you have to go with your natural instinct and try and bat the condition rather than batting your own batting. So that was a bit challenging, but of course that is what the team expects from experienced players.

Q. You just said that it was not the way you would like to play, the way you played in Southampton, but you did play like that, and you made sure you finished the game. In Sydney in January you scored a hundred, you could not finish the game. You were very disappointed that day. This thing is starting to come to you that you take that responsibility on your shoulders, that you get set, you finish it. Is that the vice-captaincy? Is it the natural progression as a batsman for you? What has brought about this change in you, this responsibility, this maturity in you? Are you enjoying your game in that sense?
ROHIT SHARMA: I think I have played more than 200-odd years now. If I don't do it now, then when? (Laughter).

So, experience teaches you a lot of things, and that is something that has come into my game of late. The past few years, rather, because you start the innings for your team, and you want to make sure that you start the innings and you finish off the innings, as well. That gives you immense pleasure. And when I did that in the first game, the satisfaction you get finishing the job is something else, rather than scoring a hundred and not finishing off the game.

My aim is always to bat as many balls as possible and see where I can take the game. And also the reason I said is because once I cross a certain score, I tend to just take on from there. But it was not the case in that particular game. I had to see the situation, because I knew it was not going to be easy for the new batter to come in and start scoring runs. So my job was just to be there and make sure I held the one end of our batting unit, and then the others came in, chipped in that crucial partnership, as well, which was, again, very, very crucial. The KL partnership off 85 plus or something, and then MS, those were crucial partnerships. So I think this World Cup is all going to be about that. We've got to stick to partnership as much as we can and try and seal the game off there.

Q. Can I ask what you made of the decision not to let MS Dhoni wear his gloves? There's been a big reaction. Have you been surprised by that?
ROHIT SHARMA: I have no idea about it, honestly.

Q. Nothing at all?
ROHIT SHARMA: No, I'm not -- see, I'm not the captain. I don't know what's going on with that. Probably we'll see it tomorrow.

Q. Rohit, the West Indies targeted Australia with the short ball early on. The pace bowlers have seemed to have a bit of an impact, in particular Usman Khawaja. How much notice of that have you taken heading into this?
ROHIT SHARMA: Yeah, we saw a bit of that game when these guys were playing. See, short ball for any batsman is not easy, even the best guy who can pull the ball, who can hook the ball will find it difficult. So it's not easy. We understand that. And probably we have the bowling attack to do that. You know, again, having said that, you don't want to be carried away with that. We've got to understand the conditions and make sure that you keep the batsmen guessing all the time, which is probably our idea to do that. Yes, there will be short stuff bowled, but at the same time, we can't forget the batsmen, most of the batsmen that get out is from that three-meter length. That is what the basic is. But again, as you mentioned, we will see the condition and we'll see what the batsman is doing at that particular time. If he's finding it uncomfortable, of course we will welcome him with that short stuff, but of course those guys play short ball really well. They come from Australia where the bounce is nice and high. So yeah, I mean, we'll see how it goes on that particular day and see if that is going to work for us or not.

Q. I just want to know the extension of that question. Now you have 23 hundreds, and the list reads like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, the top three. When you started opening five years ago, would you have believed that you'd be there among the top three batsmen for India in ODI cricket?
ROHIT SHARMA: Personally, I don't look into all of that. I don't look into going past someone or getting close to someone. As long as I'm playing, I want to make sure that I do the job for the team. Whatever happens along the way will keep happening. That is an external reward for it. But for me, it's always been going and getting the job done for the team, and that's what always I have focused on. When I started opening the innings, of course it was challenging because I've never done that before in international cricket, but I've come a long way since then until today, and it's through the hard work and understanding what I can deliver as a batsman, and that is what I have focused on.

The journey will continue, and those milestones that you're talking about, I mean, regardless of what happens, I just want to make sure that as many games as I play, I make my team win as many games as possible. That's the sole and whole job of me as a batsman. Yeah, along the way, you get rewards. I will take it any day.

Q. Heading into the World Cup, possibly there was a bit of a concern of the No. 4 position. Here the batsmen started simply before getting caught at mid off. How does the team deal with that? Does the team tell him? As a team, do you back the batsman, that -- how to go about it? He got out at mid off. What was that about? What do you say about the No. 4 batsman getting caught at mid off. Probably not the best way to get out. As a team how do you deal with that?
ROHIT SHARMA: See, I mean, he was very much in the line to play that ball. It just stuck in the pitch as we've seen through the innings it was doing. Because he was batting on 26, played about 40-odd balls, so he thought he was in, so obviously after you play a certain number of balls, you want to try and put the pressure on the bowler at some time, otherwise you can't score runs. You can't just let bowlers keep bowling their length and line. I'm sure he was trying to just push it between miles an hour off and powers to try to find that gap, but unfortunately the ball got stuck in the pitch. It didn't come on as he must have expected. But he looked very good from whatever 40 balls, 42, 43 balls he played. He looked very good, very compact, didn't panic at any given situation, because it was a crucial partnership. That 80 plus partnership that we got, it was crucial at that point, having lost two early wickets.

So yes, he might not seem that he didn't get a big runs, but that 26 was as good as getting a 50-plus runs on that pitch because like I said, it wasn't easy. But he looked good, and he looks confident from his approach, whatever you see of him, how he goes about his training, from whatever chats we've had with him. He feels very confident in his game, and he knows exactly what needs to be done in this particular condition and at that No. 4 position because more often than not he will be coming to bat at No. 4 where the ball will be doing slightly, and being an opener, it's a good advantage for him to get used to that condition quickly, and he's got a technique, as well, to bat there.

You know, I believe it's going to be a good tournament for him.

Q. Aaron Finch was in here just now, and he said that Steve Smith he thinks is the best player in the world, the best batsman in the world across all three formats. You've got a pretty good batter across all three formats in your team. Do you agree with Aaron on that?
ROHIT SHARMA: This is a debate we will continue as long as these guys are playing. It's for you guys to judge who's the best, who's not. It's not for me to judge. So yeah.

Q. Before coming to the World Cup you spoke about balancing desperation and patience and what works for you is patience. You showed that in south Hampton. Can you talk about the discipline that you've worked between 2015 and this World Cup mentally, like how have you kind of created that belief in yourself that you can do it consistently?
ROHIT SHARMA: Yeah, look, I think after the 2013 Champions Trophy, which we won, that gave me a lot of confidence that I can get the job done at the top of the order. And then since then, I've had my times where I've enjoyed my time, and there has been times where it's not gone my way. But that is what you will get as long as you're playing. This is a very challenging sport. It's not easy, especially when you come to this part of the world where the conditions are challenging. You know, at times you have to go with your natural instinct and just respect the condition, whatever the condition is there, and then use your experience, basically. That's what I've done in this four or five years. I've understood my game really well, which probably has been the most important factor, I guess. You know, understanding on certain conditions how you can play and how you can't play, in India, in Australia, in England, South Africa, New Zealand, whichever place you go to. That is something that I've understood how you need to bat on certain given conditions, and realizing the fact that also how important it is for one of your top orders to bat all the way through. So those are the things I've calculated and I've brought into my game, which has probably given me success.

But yeah, again, self-belief is something that I guess has played a crucial part in this five to six years, because if I wouldn't have believed that I can open and do well, I probably wouldn't have been doing it so successfully. So I think that is something that I kept telling myself all the time whenever I got in a position to bat, that I can get the job done for the team. Self-belief. So those are the things that I think have played a huge part.
 
History is meant to teach us about the future but Rohit Sharma, India’s vice-captain, prefers to live firmly in the present.

Sharma averages more than 60 against Australia but insists that will count for nothing when the two sides clash in one of the most eagerly-anticipated league games at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

On the all-time list of Indian ODI run scorers only Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni average more while Sharma scored an unbeaten 122 to secure a straightforward six-wicket win against South Africa in his team’s opening match, ticking off the 228 target with 15 balls to spare.

“The past is past,” he said. “What’s gone before means nothing, it’s just about being better on the day, nothing else.

“I will not look back, it gives you confidence but it’s just about tomorrow, not the history. Self-belief has played a big part in these past five or six years, I know I can get the job done for the team.

“I don’t look at records or milestones or where I am in rankings, it’s just about playing well and doing a good job for the team. Perhaps there will be external rewards but that’s for the end of my career, not now.”

However, Sharma’s swaggering innings against the Proteas was an ominous statement of intent for Aaron Finch’s Australia, who came from two games down to win the recent five match series in India.

Since the last World Cup he averages 63 and he is now third, relegating Sourav Ganguly, on the list of Indian one-day centurions, behind only Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli.

So when Finch talked up the importance of early wickets at his pre-match press conference, you know exactly who he was thinking about.

India have won just five of their 15 ODI matches at The Oval – another stat Sharma swats aside with the disdain he treated South Africa’s bowlers – while he insists the recent defeat to Australia should not be overplayed either.

“We’ve got a good rivalry, we played some really good cricket there and they played really well in India. We just need to focus on the basics and then everything will follow,” he added.

“I was happy with my performance against South Africa, I had to curb my natural instincts and play to the conditions and that gives me immense satisfaction. It wasn’t my best innings but it was one of my best innings.”

Australia struggled against a rejuvenated West Indian pace attack at Trent Bridge, fighting back from 38/4, so probably won’t be too pleased to see Jasprit Bumrah fired up at full speed with the new ball in hand.

But Sharma warns he doesn’t expect them to make the same mistake twice.

“If the batsmen is finding it uncomfortable we will welcome him with some short stuff but these guys play bouncers all the time growing up in Australia,” he added.

“Even the best batsmen will find it difficult against short-pitched bowling and we’ve definitely got the attack to do that. However, we shouldn’t get carried away, we need to read the conditions and keep their batsmen guessing.”''
 
Dhawan injured - sitting out due to blow to hand whilst he was batting
 
They did deliver in the last 2 games as expected. The best of the best Top 3 in the world at the moment for a reason!
 
You can’t deny it, this has been an absolutely fabulous start for India.

The batsman are scoring runs, the bowlers are taking wickets and we even got two run-outs against Australia in a result that suggests everything is right inside the camp.

This start bodes very well. We are playing intelligently with both bat and ball and no-one showed that more than Shikhar Dhawan against Australia.

He said in his interview that he was felt calm and that he showed restraint and it is hard to disagree with him.

He was not looking to clear the boundary, he played low-risk, sensible cricket and I think that was very clever.

He provided the platform for India to go on and attack towards the end, which they did so well. I think Dhawan's 117 was great but the key innings for me was Hardik Pandya .

His knock of 48 from 27 balls made all the difference because it ensured India set 352 instead of 312. The rate he scored at added so much impetus and carried India to a greater score. It was probably the game-changing moment of the day.

The top three all delivered runs but we expect them too. Rohit Sharma has already shown he’s in good form, Dhawan has a superb record at The Oval and Virat Kohli scores heavily against Australia.

But they promoted Pandya to four and that gave him great confidence to take the game away from Australia, they lost control when he was in the middle.

Pandya is also weapon Australia don’t have – an all-rounder of the highest quality. England have a box of them, while we have Pandya in what is probably the most important position in the team.

He did not take wickets but that did not matter, as Jasprit Bumrah took three. He is at the top of his game and loves it here, I expect him to end up with so many wickets at the end of the tournament.

The other major plus for India is that Yuzvendra Chahal is in superb form and that makes a big difference because he gets wickets with his spin in the middle overs.

The only way you can restrict teams is by taking wickets in the middle overs and that is what Australia did against the West Indies. They kept taking wickets and won the game.

They did not do that against India, whereas Chahal led the way when he had the ball and took those key wickets.

It’s now full steam ahead to New Zealand and that will also be a very tough match. The conditions always play a big part against them and I think the toss will be so important.

The conditions so far have not aided the bowlers, perhaps aside from Cardiff where it is very green. Trent Bridge has always been a white-ish surface and we all know about the run-scoring history there.

I think New Zealand’s bowlers are a step up on Australia’s and are likely to be a handful. If Trent Boult gets his rhythm right, he will get wickets and so seeing how he plays will be fascinating.
 
Kohli keeping cool despite red-hot Indian start

Virat Kohli did his best to keep his head - while all around him seemed to be collectively losing theirs.

India’s Bharat Army marched to the beat of their numerous drums, the cacophony reverberating around this most venerable of cricket grounds, with blue very much the colour in this corner of London.

From first ball to last they chanted, cheered, sung and screamed, waving their flags with a flourish and underlining the power of ’home’ advantage.

And this was only their second match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 - the expectation only building ahead of challenges to come.

But confidence should now be surging for India after a consummate 36-run victory against defending champions Australia, following their confident six-wicket win over South Africa in their tournament opener.

“It’s far too early to talk about semi-finals, after six games we will be in a better position to think about that but it’s not for now,” said Kohli, whose side will next face unbeaten New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

“However, we couldn’t ask for a better start against two very strong sides and I like we’ve got the strongest sides in world cricket early on. We have to be at the top of our game from the start of the tournament.

“It was the perfect one-day game for us. We were very professional and that pleases you as a captain. I couldn’t really ask for better, in all three departments. We set the tone with the bat and we bowled really well. We won all the crucial moments and never took our foot off the pedal.”

After winning the toss and deciding to bat, India set about producing a textbook batting performance, inspired by Shikhar Dhawan’s century, Kohli’s 82 and free-scoring cameos from Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni.

With ball in hand India have a luxury of options and Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled astutely at the death while Kohli’s tactics were as canny as ever. It was all very ominous for those teams to come.

Set 353 to win, which would require a record World Cup run chase, Australia started their response with caution.

Aaron Finch and David Warner prodded conservatively, the latter facing an improbable 14 dot balls while the score seemed to crawl and the run rate sharply escalated.

They initially kept wickets in hand but as the scale of the task became more improbable the issue had to be forced - and then there was only one result.

This was the ninth time these teams have played this year - with honours even, India winning a series in Australia 2-1, while Finch’s team reversed that result with a comeback 3-2 victory on their travels.

And it was those defeats – against an Australian team without bowler Mitchell Starc – that proved Kohli’s inspiration.

“After losing in India we had a point to prove and that was our motivation,” he added. “I knew if we put runs on the board then we back our bowling line-up to defend anything. Our bowlers are at the top of their game right now, it’s a unit that really understands its strengths.

“We adapted well. They were too hesitant going for the boundaries early on so we kept the ball on a good length and at the stumps. I felt their mentality was just about not losing early wickets and I was always confident our total was too big for that strategy.”

The Bharat Army now marches north to Nottingham, another win there and Kohli may struggle to curb their undiluted enthusiasm.
 
ndia batting coach Sanjay Bangar challenged KL Rahul to make a crucial contribution to India’s Cricket World Cup campaign as they aim to compensate for the absence of Shikhar Dhawan.
KL Rahul
Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out for the next few games with a fractured thumb
KL Rahul set to be promoted to the top of the India batting order
India batting coach Sanjay Bangar challenged KL Rahul to make a crucial contribution to India’s Cricket World Cup campaign as they aim to compensate for the absence of Shikhar Dhawan.

Dhawan, who shares the most successful-ever ODI batting partnership with Rohit Sharma, has suffered a fracture to his left thumb and is set to miss a sizeable section of the group stage.

While Dhawan will be monitored in the team camp for ten or 12 days, Rahul will open the batting for the foreseeable future and Bangar tasked the 27-year-old with adapting quickly.

“As far as the batting order goes, KL moves up at the top of the order,” said Bangar.

“If you look across the history of the game players have been very versatile, and if you take his namesake Rahul Dravid, it helped the team big time.

“If you're batting in the middle order and suddenly you go and bat in the top order, then you know how challenging it can be.

“You know you need to negotiate two new balls, but you also understand that there are all these boundary opportunities.

“So it's a mental adjustment, and any player who is able to do that requires a lot of skill, but ultimately it will enhance the position that he will bat in, and it will help the team's cause big time.”

Rahul is no stranger to opening the batting, but the last time he did so was in January 2017.

The Karnataka product opened up in each of his first six ODIs – against Zimbabwe and England – but was earmarked as the solution at four after a warm-up century against Bangladesh in Cardiff.

India’s approach to the first powerplay since the 2015 World Cup has been conservative, with no side scoring slower than their 3.5 runs per over in the tournament thus far.

Despite Dhawan’s ongoing absence, it seems their approach won’t waver as Bangar encouraged Rahul to continue to show caution, starting against New Zealand at Trent Bridge tomorrow.

“The batsmen have to be a bit circumspect when the conditions are cloudy and there are two new balls,” said Bangar.

“You always want your top bowler to show discipline and put us in a great position because if you're in a good position at the end of 10 or 15 overs past the new ball, the seam tends to soften up.

“From that point of view, it's always a good strategy.

“Every opening batsman would like to have that sort of strategy, where if the conditions are challenging, you always want to give the bowlers the respect at times.”
 
India have the attitude in the field that can help them build towards a third World Cup triumph, according to their specialist coach.

Virat Kohli’s side have taken plaudits for their batting and bowling, but the fielding side of their game attracted less attention in the build-up to the ICC Men’s World Cup.

Rain washed out the opportunity to showcase this talent when the game against New Zealand at Trent Bridge was abandoned without a ball bowled, leaving both sides unbeaten.

According to Ramakrishnan Sridhar the umpires had no option but to call off proceedings around 4pm.

India won the tournament in 1983 and 2011, and Sridar believes that the approach, athleticism and competitive will of the players in the field will help their push this time.

“The biggest thing is the attitude of the fielders where they put the team ahead of themselves,” he said. “These are qualities you need to go out and win championships.

“They are willing to risk injuries to save that one run, which is a great quality to have.

“We have a terrific slip catcher and a safe catcher in Rohit Sharma, and two guys, Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav, who are very intimidating to the opposition. They can intimidate any batsman, and they are prowling in the 30-yard range.

“To complement that, we have a player in Hardik Pandya, who can really help when needed.

“These are all the usual suspects, but we saw Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah crack it up in the last game, diving after bowling long spells, and stopping runs.

“I think the biggest challenge is to stay consistent, to reduce the time between the good days and bad days. That is integral.”

India will consider the fielding element when they take a call on Shikhar Dhawan’s return to action. The opener hurt his left thumb during his innings of 117 against Australia at the Oval last Sunday.

Sridhar said: “Throwing won’t be a problem, but definitely the impact while fielding and catching [will], especially as he is a slip fielder. That can be an issue.

“We will test him out with lighter balls first and gradually move on to the cricket ball and see how it goes from there, but, yes, that will be a challenge.”

Rishabh Pant is to join the squad on standby. He will be close by if the selectors opt to make a formal change, with Dhawan likely to be assessed at some point next week.

Sridhar knows what it takes to achieve tournament success having been the fielding coach of India when they won the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2012.

He was elevated to the senior team two years later and has helped to bring about a consistent improvement since.

An example was the performance against Australia, when India successfully contained the opposition to win by 36 runs.

“We did not have a big total so we had to field out of our skins,” Sridhar said. “Fielding is vital in every game. We should expect to out-field our opponents every time but we should also expect our opponents to do the same. We should go out with the best intensity possible.”

There will be no lack of that when India resume action in the much-awaited game against neighbours and rivals Pakistan at Old Trafford on Sunday.
 
Mickey Arthur also seems convinced that the top 3 for India are the key


Q. Coach, Mohammad Amir did well to really come back with the old ball against the Aussies, how much of a concern is it with the new ball and to be able to make inroads into the Indian top order, that would be key?

MICKEY ARTHUR: Yeah, that is key. Without wanting to harp too much, that was two years ago, but when you get into the Indian top order, you can create a little bit of havoc. There's some fun players all the way down, don't get me wrong, but if you can rattle their top order with the new ball, you certainly have an advantage. That's something that we'll certainly, certainly be trying to work on.
 
The top 3 have not let down so far.

3 centuries from top order in 3 matches so far.
 
Bhuvi has stiffness in his hamstring. He will play no further part today in the game vs Pakistan

Could be a big loss for India for the World Cup
 
MenInG said:
Bhuvi has stiffness in his hamstring. He will play no further part today in the game vs Pakistan

Could be a big loss for India for the World Cup
Click to expand...

Second injury of the tournament already :facepalm:

Bench strength being tested.
 
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - India’s swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar will miss the next two to three games with a hamstring injury, captain Virat Kohli said after the team’s emphatic victory against Pakistan.

Sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar was into his third over when he landed awkwardly and hobbled off the ground, leaving India one bowler short.

India still had enough depth in their bowling to restrict Pakistan and coast to a 89-run victory in the rain-hit match between the arch-rivals.

The team later said Kumar, whose ability to swing the ball makes him an asset in English conditions, could not take any further part in the match owing to tightness in his left hamstring.

“Slight niggle for Bhuvi, he slipped on one of the footmarks,” Kohli said at the presentation ceremony.

“He’s out for two, maybe three games, but he should come back for us at some stage during this tournament.”

Kumar took five wickets in India’s first two matches and his injury is likely to facilitate the selection of fellow right-hand quick Mohammed Shami who is yet to play a match in the tournament.

Kohli said Kumar was “important” to the team and that Shami was “raring to go”.

India have already lost opener Shikhar Dhawan to a hand injury though they remain hopeful the southpaw will be fit before the June 30 match against hosts England.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-c...2-3-games-with-hamstring-injury-idUKKCN1TH0SP
 
I hope Bhuvi recovers well. He seemed to be getting in good rhythm. India was lucky that Shankar covered Bhuvi well. One more injury to key player will hurt India badly.
 
Centurion Sharma celebrates Father’s Day in style

It was fitting that on his first Father’s Day as a new dad, Rohit Sharma should produce a match-winning performance for India – especially as he credits his daughter for his current stellar form.

Sharma’s wife Ritika gave birth to the couple’s first child, Samaira, back in December and the opener claims that life-changing moment off the field has provided him with the serenity needed to excel out in the middle.

Pakistan certainly won’t argue that the 32-year-old wasn’t at his brilliant best as he plundered 140 from just 113 balls, helping his side to a convincing 89-run win at Old Trafford.

That knock also means Sharma joins Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli (twice) as the only men to score 50+ in five consecutive ODI innings for India, so Samaira’s impact has clearly been potent.

“The space I’m in right now is a very good place in my life,” smiled Sharma. “Having a newly-born daughter has put me in a good space.

“I’m enjoying my cricket, I was coming off a great IPL campaign and have started well at this World Cup.

“We know how important it is to start well at a World Cup, so the focus was on that first of all. As a team we’re heading in the right direction. It’s important to keep ticking all the boxes.

“The crowd come to matches for entertainment and we were really good as a team. We really wanted those two points following the washout last time and we wanted to display our skills because we’ve been in good form.”

Sharma was opening the batting with a new partner in KL Rahul, due to Shikhar Dhawan’s hand injury.

The duo appeared to click instantly, putting on 136 for the first wicket – a record opening partnership in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan.

That set a perfect platform for India to reach 336/5, establishing a strong position that they turned into victory, and Sharma says everything went to plan.

“The crucial phase of the innings was the first phase and not losing a wicket was vital,” he added. “As an opener, it’s your job to make sure you don’t lose too many wickets up front.

“In conditions like that, it’s more of a new-ball game and the opposition can put pressure on you if they get going. We wanted to build a platform and tried to take the game forward after that.

“It was KL’s first game as opener for India, so I wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

“There’s a challenge you face in terms of understanding – when he wants to run two, when I want to take singles and things like that.

“We had lots of communication out there and hopefully we can build on it now I know he will be opening for the next few games.”
 
Flexibility important for all-rounder Shankar after late India call-up

Vijay Shankar knows the versatility required of an all-rounder – but he didn’t imagine just how adaptable he would have to be at Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old was in the thick of things with both bat and ball as India beat Pakistan by 92 via DLS method in the rain-punctuated game in Manchester.

When Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulled up with a hamstring injury after the fourth ball of his third over, skipper Virat Kohli turned to Shankar – with immediate results.

Imam-ul-Haq misjudged the very first ball from the new bowler which pitched on leg stump and brought a lbw verdict, giving India the breakthrough they wanted with the new ball.

Shankar had already finished an impressive India innings of 336/5 with 15 from 15 balls and was to return later in the Pakistan response to force Sarfaraz Ahmed to chop onto his stumps.

All this having been told that he would play only the day before the game as part of a batting reshuffle brought on by the injury to opener Shikhar Dhawan.

“Coming on to bowl so early was a surprise for me,” Shankar reflected. “Every bowler would love to get wickets in the World Cup and first of all we need big wickets as a team.

“I have been batting well, and bowling is something which I know will be very handy for me. It is important to improve all aspects of my game so when the situation comes along, I will be ready for all situations.

“I have to be flexible in my role, batting and bowling. I am someone as a cricketer who feels it is very important to be able to adapt quickly to the situation.”

That was far from the only requirement of flexibility as Shankar, due to bat at number four, slotted down the order after the fall of Rohit Sharma to allow big-hitting Hardik Pandya more time at the crease.

He eventually emerged at number six but found no difficulty in taking guard as late as the 46th over. Indeed, Shankar has become used to being handed responsibility at short notice after making his ODI debut as recently as January this year.

Kohli trusted him to bowl the last over of an ODI in Nagpur in March with Australia needing ten runs to win. Cool-hand Shankar finished things in style with the wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa to seal an eight-run win.

He said: “I was batting at six and seven in my first innings for India, I batted there against Australia and performed that same role so it was nothing new for me.

“I just think it was a great opportunity to make my World Cup debut against Pakistan when there would be so many people watching the game. I try to enjoy each and every moment.”
 
Cricket World Cup 2019: After win over Pakistan, Virat Kohli-led India to have a two-day break

After a brilliant performance against Pakistan at Old Trafford on Sunday, the Indian players have been given a two-day break to switch off, relax and come back stronger before their next game against Afghanistan in Southampton on Saturday.

The team management in an official statement said: “Indian team will now have a two-day break.”

Having started off late in the tournament, playing their first match after the completion of seven World Cup matches, India played three games in 12 days with the game against New Zealand being washed off without a ball being bowled.

They have won three of the four games and are now sitting third on the points table with seven points from four matches.

While Virat Kohli and boys played their first game against South Africa on June 5, their second game was against Australia on June 9.

The third game against NZ was washed off on June 13 and the fourth game was played against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

It was an amazing display of professionalism from the Men in Blue against Pakistan in Manchester. They first scored 336/5 in their 50 overs with vice-captain Rohit Sharma hitting a brilliant 113-ball 140 and the bowlers then tightened the screws on the Pakistan batsmen as the Indians won the game by 89 runs (D/L method).

Speaking after the game, Kohli praised both Rohit and chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav for their display. “Rohit’s knock was outstanding today. He again showed today why he is such a good ODI player. Kuldeep was brilliant. Those guys were only trying to play him out. A longer spell helped in that situation and he was getting into rhythm. They were thinking that he would go out of the attack sooner rather than later.

“That ball to dismiss Babar (Azam) was just outstanding with the drift, the turn and just beating the batsman batting so well. This is the best he has been bowling since coming to England and, him confident with Chahal, is going to be an important factor for us in the tournament,” he said.

But Bhuvneshwar Kumar might have to miss the next few games as per Kohli. “Bhuvi’s case looks like a niggle, a case of slipping on the footmarks. It doesn’t look too serious at the moment and looks like he could recover in a couple of games from now, maximum of three games,” he said.

“He is going to be an important factor for us so hopefully he can recover in time. But we have Shami with us and it shouldn’t be much of a worry for us. Even Bhuvi doesn’t think his niggle is too bad and that time would heal it.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...ohli-led-india-to-have-a-two-day-break-858189
 
World Cup 2019: Vijay Shankar Faces Injury Scare During Net Session Ahead Of Afghanistan Clash

Vijay Shankar, the Indian all-rounder, is the latest name to be added to the injury scare list during the ongoing World Cup 2019 after being hit on toe during a rain-hit training session on Wednesday. During India's training session ahead of Afghanistan clash, a Jasprit Bumrah yorker hit Shankar's toes and he was apparently in pain. However a team source informed PTI that there's nothing to worry as of now. "Yes, Vijay was in pain but it has subsided by the evening. Hopefully, there's nothing scary," the source said.

On Thursday, Shankar was seen walking around in slippers with a slight limp. Later he tried jogging wearing gym trainers but gave up after half a lap. He then did some basic exercises as others took part in usual fielding drills as well as net sessions.

Shankar is one of the designated No. 4 batsmen in this Indian line-up although he is being used as a floater.

Shankar is also a handy medium pacer who got a couple important wickets against Pakistan including skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed.

With Shikhar Dhawan already ruled out of the tournament due to thumb fracture and Bhuvneshwar Kumar out for two games due to hamstring strain, Shankar's injury will only increase tension for the team management.

As of now Bhuvneshwar will not be bowling for eight days and will only be in contention for the England game (June 30) in Birmingham.

The team management, just like in Dhawan's case, is confident that Bhuvneshwar will be available during the business end of the tournament.

While the team management and the BCCI dilli dallied in giving a proper picture with regards to Dhawan's injury, they are still maintaining that it is a left hamstring stiffness and not a tear for Bhuvneshwar.

In case of hamstring tear, there will be very little chance of comeback for Bhuvneshwar in World Cup 2019.

Bhuvneshwar was also seen doing a bit of short strides and jogging but didn't take part in the nets.

While Khaleel Ahmed, the stand-by pacer is with the team, in worst case scenario if Bhuvneshwar has to be replaced, the team management can fall back on veteran Ishant Sharma as he is also on the list.

https://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2...et-session-ahead-of-afghanistan-clash-2056365
 
Should Pant open the batting if selected in playing 11?

Now it is clear that Dhawan is ruled out for entire tournament.If Rishabh replaces him, he should open with Rohit.He looks better against pace and that allows Rahul to bat at 4, his regular position.
Thoughts?
 
No way. He will probably be in reserves most of games but if he does get chance he will be bat in place of jadhav or Shankar, the players he will likely replace...unless rohit or Raul get injured.
 
It was a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire for Vijay Shankar on his ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup debut against Pakistan at Old Trafford.

But after thriving in the pressure cooker environment, the India all-rounder believes he is now ready for any challenge he is likely to face.

Thrust into the starting line-up as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in Manchester, Shankar enjoyed an World Cup debut to remember, taking two vital wickets and making 15 not out.

The assured display capped a whirlwind six months for the 28-year-old, who only made his ODI bow for India against Australia in January this year.

And asked if the Pakistan match could be the catalyst for future success, Shankar said: “Yeah, it definitely gives any player some confidence because that is really needed for any individual."

“The last game gave me some confidence, and especially playing against Pakistan, making my debut against them."

“It was a very special thing for me, performing under pressure and coming out good."

“The team winning at the end of the day is really important. It felt really good at the end of the day."

“I always look to get better in all three aspects of the game as I know I can keep getting better. I know I can bowl a lot better than what I am bowling even now, so I'm just working on my bowling."

“Whenever I get to a practice session, I make sure I improve a bit at least. I always have a good chat with my bowling coach and try and get better each and every day.”

Shankar will now hope to retain his place for Saturday’s clash with Afghanistan in Southampton, where India will once again put their unbeaten record in this year’s World Cup on the line."

A potential meeting with Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Rashid Khan awaits, and Shankar was quick to warn his fellow countrymen of the danger posed by the talented leg-spinner."

“He's definitely one of the best bowlers right now in limited overs, and he has done well," he said.

“For me, having played with him for a couple of years, it's very important for me to pick things from him, like whenever I bat against him in the nets, I try and pick his variations."

“Definitely, he's a good bowler, but anyone can go for runs every day. It is about how we come back strong and for me, it is about how I play against him. So that will be the key.”
 
He’s quite average Shankar. Railu Kattas like him can’t be trusted to deliver at the biggest stage.

It is time to unleash Rishabh Pant.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
He’s quite average Shankar. Railu Kattas like him can’t be trusted to deliver at the biggest stage.

It is time to unleash Rishabh Pant.
Click to expand...
I guess "railu kattas" is a thing now.

India is all about consistency. They'll probably give Shankar enough games to get some time in the middle and not change the team from the last game.
 
I thought Virat Kohli captained brilliantly against Afghanistan and it was thanks to his outstanding leadership that India got the win in the end.

He knew he didn’t have a big total to defend – just 224 – and he knew his two main, wicket-taking strike bowlers were Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal.

The way he utilised both of them in phases, and brought them in when required to get those vital wickets, was fantastic.

You know you’re limited to five bowlers and you don’t really have many options, so it’s about how you rotate the bowlers to get the most out of them.

When do you go to the key bowler? When do you attack and when do you choke the opposition? Kohli answered those questions perfectly and that was the key to victory.

India had to take wickets in the middle overs when the partnership between Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi was building.

Bumrah was brought on by Kohli and got two wickets in the same over – that changed the course of the game.

The Bumrah and Chahal combination was superb but from the Afghan point of view, even though Mohammad Nabi did a brilliant job with the bat, I still believe they should have chased down 225

It was a good opportunity for Afghanistan to win a match at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and make a statement by beating India, who have been the most dominant side in the tournament so far.

I don’t think anyone expected such a close match but it’s great for the World Cup and probably a good thing for India as well because it’s a kind of shock treatment that means they won’t take anything for granted moving forward.

The wicket was slightly slow but frankly speaking, I think India got a bit stuck in the middle overs and should have played a little bit more freely.

They gave a little bit too much respect to Afghanistan’s spinners because while the Afghans bowled well – especially Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan – they didn’t do so well that India should have been restricted to 225. But they got the win, which was important.

The underdogs starting to bark is always good for the tournament – it makes the World Cup even more interesting.

It has happened two days in a row now with Sri Lanka beating England and then Afghanistan running India close.

In losing to Sri Lanka, maybe the English batsmen took the chase of 233 a bit too lightly. England have a very good batting line-up and, from a depth point of view, I think they have the best with Chris Woakes batting at eight and Adil Rashid at nine.

I was surprised how they folded so suddenly against Sri Lanka but this kind of match can wake you up in the middle of a World Cup.

It can be a blessing in disguise – England know now to watch out and they have learned they can’t take any team lightly.

Perhaps it will be the same for India with the Afghanistan game – a blessing in disguise. They won but you suddenly realise that if one, two and three aren’t going to click in your batting line-up, what are four, five and six going to do?

I still believe England and India are the best two teams in the World Cup though and when they play each other in Birmingham next Sunday, it will be great.

© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2019. All rights reserved
 
Clean sheet so far.

Ideally India should look to keep winning and secure #1 position on the table it would be a huge confidence booster going into the KOs.

To merely qualify for the semis, India needs to win 1 of the remaining 4 games. Anything more than that would help them secure a higher position on the table.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Clean sheet so far.

Ideally India should look to keep winning and secure #1 position on the table it would be a huge confidence booster going into the KOs.

To merely qualify for the semis, India needs to win 1 of the remaining 4 games. Anything more than that would help them secure a higher position on the table.
Click to expand...

bhaijaan rahul is not delivering.
i fear he will be booted out if he fails yet again.Looks like one more talent will be wasted.
 
Shankar is a very good Batman in the Dravid frame - in New Zealand he batted very well . His recommendation for team selection came from Dravid .
In india , more that Tendulkar, Dravid and Kumble recommendations matter .
Shankar bowled well and has upped his pace from 120 to 130 ..
He has been selected as a batsman who can bowl a bit . He is not a rail Katu .
 
Lack of imagination will cost India dearly!!

I clearly remember T20 wc SF when we scored 192/3 when we could have easily pushed for 220 with some initiative. India lost that game not because of lack of talent but for lack of intent.
Similarly a score of 226 would have been acceptable against Afghanistan if we had been all out in 40 overs. But to scrape to that score after 50 over was humiliating. Simple surrender of MSD and Kedar was pathetic. MSD actually played five dot balls against Mujib ur Rehman which was really sad.
India needs to be brave while batting.If they are too worried about long tail bring Ravi Jadeja in. Kulcha are not running through middle order anymore and Jaddu can also keep things quite. Futher we need another batsman of pedigree like Pant in our middle order. It is astounding to pick guys like Vijay Shankar over a man who scored hundreds in his first tour to England and Australia and that too in quick time.
 
It's not just Dhoni or Jadhav but the entire batting unit minus Kohli was the reason for settling with sub par 226 against AFG. What's with the bashing of Dhoni and Jadhav in this forum when they somehow managed to get India to that sub par 226? Rohit played like a tailender, Rahul was at his best with his brainfade moment, Shankar was going good but played a terrible sweep, Pandya didn't even know what was he upto. Blame all these idiots first before bashing the players who managed to put on some runs despite their slow SR. Absolute double standards this!
 
Despite all these issues, they are still finding ways to win is actually a very good sign for this team.

What they can try is:

1) Rohit Sharma
2) Lokesh Rahul
3) Virat Kohli(C)
4) Vijay Shankar
5) Risabh Pant(Wk)
6) Kedhar Jadhav
7) Hardik Pandya
8) Ravindera Jadeja
9) Yuzvendra Chahal
10) Mohammad Shami
11) Jasprit Bumrah
 
Arsalan Pro said:
Despite all these issues, they are still finding ways to win is actually a very good sign for this team.

What they can try is:

1) Rohit Sharma
2) Lokesh Rahul
3) Virat Kohli(C)
4) Vijay Shankar
5) Risabh Pant(Wk)
6) Kedhar Jadhav
7) Hardik Pandya
8) Ravindera Jadeja
9) Yuzvendra Chahal
10) Mohammad Shami
11) Jasprit Bumrah
Click to expand...
lol, no way Dhoni is missing even a single WC game!
 
Arsalan Pro said:
Despite all these issues, they are still finding ways to win is actually a very good sign for this team.

What they can try is:

1) Rohit Sharma
2) Lokesh Rahul
3) Virat Kohli(C)
4) Vijay Shankar
5) Risabh Pant(Wk)
6) Kedhar Jadhav
7) Hardik Pandya
8) Ravindera Jadeja
9) Yuzvendra Chahal
10) Mohammad Shami
11) Jasprit Bumrah
Click to expand...

MP2011 said:
lol, no way Dhoni is missing even a single WC game!
Click to expand...

Agreed. But TBH, this would be the strongest XI India can put out there, given the squad.
 
Arsalan Pro said:
Despite all these issues, they are still finding ways to win is actually a very good sign for this team.

What they can try is:

1) Rohit Sharma
2) Lokesh Rahul
3) Virat Kohli(C)
4) Vijay Shankar
5) Risabh Pant(Wk)
6) Kedhar Jadhav
7) Hardik Pandya
8) Ravindera Jadeja
9) Yuzvendra Chahal
10) Mohammad Shami
11) Jasprit Bumrah
Click to expand...

Its a good team. Only concern is Jadeja coming in for Kuldeep.
 
Rightarmfast said:
Its a good team. Only concern is Jadeja coming in for Kuldeep.
Click to expand...

I too wouldn't want to drop a bowler like Kuldeep Yadav most of the time, but I don't know what has happened to him. Last time I saw him before the World Cup, he was running through teams almost every time. He doesn't look the same bowler nowadays.

Moreover, Jadeja can strengthen arguably the weakest tail of the tournament and help score quick runs at the back end. With India almost guaranteed a SF spot, maybe they can try him for next 1-2 games and bring back Kuldeep for big games, if Jadeja fails.
 
Jadeja can strengthen arguably the weakest tail of the tournament and help score quick runs at the back end
Click to expand...
He can't. He himself is such a pathetic bat especially in LoIs.
 
26 June - Manchester - India bowling coach Bharat Arun pre-match press conference

Q. Other than the lighter batting against Afghanistan, how do you look at this match to ensure that the batting is in full flow and a big score is possible?
BHARAT ARUN: If you look at our first three games, I think we put up some really big scores. And Afghanistan match, the wicket was a little sticky; it was tricky to bat under those circumstances. But I think it's a question of adapting, understanding these conditions and adapting to that.

Q. The World Cup is dominated by the left-arm fast bowlers. So, typically, how do we prepare ourselves because we don't have one right now? But if you see Mitchell Starc, Behrendorff, Boult or even Cottrell. How will we prepare for bowling and prepare our batsmen for the left-arm fast bowlers in absence of our own, or even in the practise bowls?
BHARAT ARUN: We have Khalil with us as our net bowler. And also we have a throw-down specialist who is particularly a left-hander. So I think we have enough practise of the left-arm bowling as of now.

Q. Can you just talk about the evolution of Hardik Pandya as an ODI bowler? In 2017 there was some doubts about his ability to bowl 10 overs. Last game we saw, even though he took a hit, bowled a full spell. Kedar was not even used on that side of the pit. Can you talk about what he has added to his arsenal as a bowler in ODI cricket?
BHARAT ARUN: Over a period time it was a big challenge for him to bowl those 10 overs, and he realised that to be able to bowl those 10 overs I need to develop a certain armory in my bowling. And that's what he's worked on. He's worked on his slow balls, his slow bounces also, and also he's worked on perfecting his bounces. So all these put together have given him the confidence to go through those 10 overs.

Q. Does the fact that England lost yesterday take the pressure off you heading into the rest of the group games?
BHARAT ARUN: Actually we're not thinking of those matches. We're looking ahead and looking at the matches that we're going to play. And we are absolutely focused on the next game.

Q. There was -- a rare kind of a dot-ball percentage of MS Dhoni's innings was quite high in the last match. Is that a matter of concern of the India middle order kind of going into a shell? Going forward how big of a concern is that?
BHARAT ARUN: Not really. I think according to the situation and the condition of the wicket, we were able to successfully defend the total that we put up. And had we probably lost a wicket at that stage, then things would have turned out differently. So I don't think it's too much of a concern for us right now.

Q. If we look at the innings that Kohli played on that same track, it didn't look difficult scoring at more than 100 strike rate, and then MS played that innings, as you said, it's a tricky thing. Like, there's been a few innings like this on and off in the last two years. So does anyone from the team management, does the head coach or the skipper or the coaching staff, do they speak to MS or is it a case where he's played a lot of cricket, he's left to his own devices to plan? Like how does it happen?
BHARAT ARUN: To answer your first question, I think Virat Kohli is probably the number one batsman across all formats. So I think to compare anybody to the way he plays is not right. And there is a constant dialogue between all the batsmen, the support staff, the batting coach, the head coach -- Ravi Shastri has a constant dialogue with all the coaches. I can't really get into the brass tacks of what we discuss, but yes if I have to answer your question, there is a constant dialogue for us to improve.

Q. You had earlier said that Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the first choice pacer ahead of Shami. Now with Shami coming in and doing well and Bhuvneshwar injured, does that change, or will Bhuvneshwar be the first choice especially because he adds some depth in the batting as well when he gets fit? And how is he now in terms of fitness?
BHARAT ARUN: Bhuvneshwar's injury is not of any great concern. It is just a niggle, which we didn't want to take a chance. And it was also an opportunity for us to plug Shami into the games. But the fact he's done exceptionally well all goes well for us; it's an embarrassment of riches. And we would take a call as per the conditions, but Bhuvi has done exceptionally well, so I think it's a pretty good headache to have.

Q. Just keeping in mind the three matches in the next few days, so like six days or something, what is it that -- what's the message that you're giving your bowlers, the whole bowling group, that other than the workload management what do they need to focus on keep themselves fit for the playoffs if India make that?
BHARAT ARUN: I think here in the World Cup where every match we're playing a different team. So I think for the bowlers to do well, they need to be aware of the batsmen's strength and their shortcomings. So I think what they really focus on, they have enough breaks between the games, and as you rightly said the workloads have also been managed. What they really work on is the mindset and the strength and weaknesses of the opponents.

Q. Across the board both fast bowlers and spinners have done well in this tournament and in the past also. As a bowling coach, how have you managed the spinners and the fast bowlers simultaneously? So if you can throw something, how managing spinners, how difficult or easy or how convenient or comfortable for you?
BHARAT ARUN: Actually, I think if you don the role of a coach, you should be adept with the skill of spin and fast bowling. It's about understanding both that gives you the best chance to manage them. As for the spinners, again, as I answered the earlier question, the more you're aware and the more you understand what you're capable of doing, these two factors would ensure that you have the best platform for you to perform.

So if you ask me how easy or how difficult it is, I don't think so. I think it's about empowerment and the more knowledge he has about himself and of the opponents, that would help any bowler to do well.

Q. How do you look at the West Indies batting challenge considering the familiarity with all the players? Do you see this as a different kind of a batting challenge for the bowlers and how do you prepare your bowlers for them?
BHARAT ARUN: They're an outstanding side and they play real positive cricket. We are aware of the challenges that exist in this game. And I think our plans are pretty much in place and we are up for the challenge.

Q. West Indies obviously has the likes of Chris Gayle and Brathwaite, who can score quickly. Do you have to change your approach at all against a such a positive batting lineup?
BHARAT ARUN: Yes, of course. As I mentioned earlier, they do have their strengths. And also it's a big challenge for the bowlers too -- especially when they come after you. But whenever batsmen come after you, if you're willing to look at it deeply, there is a chance for it -- in it for the bowlers, and I think that's what the bowlers would be looking to do.

Q. There was a time when Shami struggled with his fitness. He even got dropped from the team. What was the kind of conversation that you had with him at that point in time? And how happy you are to see a very much fit Shami?
BHARAT ARUN: It was a pretty long conversation. I can't really bring that to the table here. But, yes, Shami was in a totally different mindset. And we had to -- the head coach, me, all of us had to sit down and speak to him and kind of draw a future map for him and had to convince him regarding that. And he was going through certain personal problems as well at that point in time.

So beyond all that, I think what has really got him into the situation that he is is his ability to play cricket and that's exactly what we made him focus on. And I think the rest is there for everybody to see.

Q. After the match yesterday, England -- England Captain Morgan said that the pitch level to be slower, and -- for the rest of the tournament and probably likely, too. He didn't say that, but (indiscernible) your bowlers. What's your analyses on that?
BHARAT ARUN: As I said earlier, it's how soon you are aware of the conditions and you adapt yourself to the conditions. I think slower pitches or even faster ones, our bowlers have the skill to counter that. And how soon we read the pitch is going to be the key.

Q. It's a needless controversy back home, but politicians are questioning the colour that India will be wearing versus England, which is orange, relating it to the current government colour that is there saffronnisation. What do you want to say to those politicians who are actually not supporting Team India but questioning the colour they'll be wearing versus England?
BHARAT ARUN: To be very honest we are not even aware of what colours we're going to be wearing. So we have not given any thought to that. And all our focus is on the match tomorrow.

Q. To take the question only forward you are not bothered --
BHARAT ARUN: I didn't say I'm not bothered. I didn't say I'm not bothered. I said we are focusing on the game and we are not aware of what colour we are getting.

Q. Does colour matter to the team at all? That's my question? Any colour for that matter?
BHARAT ARUN: We bleed blue, right. Blue is going to be predominantly the colour and that's it.
 
Arun confident India will nullify big-hitting teams

Over the course of the next two games India will face arguably the two teams with the greatest firepower in their batting line-ups at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Bharat-Arun-India-Pre-Match-PC-26JUN19_Moment
The two-time champions face West Indies and England in their next two matches
India are unbeaten so far and sit third in the standings
Over the course of the next two games India will face arguably the two teams with the greatest firepower in their batting line-ups at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

First, they take on the West Indies at Old Trafford, knowing a victory would put them within touching distance of the semi-finals, before a clash with England at Edgbaston.

And as they prepare for the challenge of subduing the Windies’ big hitters on Thursday, bowling coach Bharat Arun believes there will be opportunities against such an aggressive team.

He said: “They're an outstanding side and they play real positive cricket. We are aware of the challenges that exist in this game. And I think our plans are pretty much in place and we are up for the challenge.

“They do have their strengths. And also it's a big challenge for the bowlers too – especially when they come after you. But whenever batsmen come after you, if you're willing to look at it deeply, there is a chance for it – in it for the bowlers, and I think that's what the bowlers would be looking to do.”

One player who has emerged with great credit from a bowling perspective for India has been Hardik Pandya, who played a crucial role in the wins over Afghanistan and Pakistan.

His development has given the Indian selectors greater flexibility, and Arun explained how he has expanded his repertoire in order to become a reliable option to bowl a full complement of ten overs.

He said: “Over a period time it was a big challenge for Hardik to bowl those 10 overs, and he realised that to be able to bowl those 10 overs he needed to develop a certain armoury in his bowling.

“And that's what he's worked on. He's worked on his slow balls, his slow bouncers also, and also he's worked on perfecting his bouncers. So all these put together have given him the confidence to go through those 10 overs.”

While India remain unbeaten, they were given a scare by Afghanistan in their last match, the first time their batsmen have not really fired in the competition.

Instead it was Mohammed Shami who saw the team home, taking a hat-trick in the final over to seal an 11-run victory, and Arun revealed how a conversation when Shami was dropped back in 2018 had helped him turn things around.

Arun said: “It was a pretty long conversation. Shami was in a totally different mindset. And we had to – the head coach, me, all of us had to sit down and speak to him and kind of draw a future map for him and had to convince him regarding that. And he was going through certain personal problems as well at that point in time.

“So beyond all that, I think what has really got him into the situation that he is, his ability to play cricket and that's exactly what we made him focus on. And I think the rest is there for everybody to see.”
 
Arun confident India will nullify big-hitting teams

Over the course of the next two games India will face arguably the two teams with the greatest firepower in their batting line-ups at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The two-time champions face West Indies and England in their next two matches

India are unbeaten so far and sit third in the standings

Over the course of the next two games India will face arguably the two teams with the greatest firepower in their batting line-ups at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

First, they take on the West Indies at Old Trafford, knowing a victory would put them within touching distance of the semi-finals, before a clash with England at Edgbaston.

And as they prepare for the challenge of subduing the Windies’ big hitters on Thursday, bowling coach Bharat Arun believes there will be opportunities against such an aggressive team.

He said: “They're an outstanding side and they play real positive cricket. We are aware of the challenges that exist in this game. And I think our plans are pretty much in place and we are up for the challenge.

“They do have their strengths. And also it's a big challenge for the bowlers too – especially when they come after you. But whenever batsmen come after you, if you're willing to look at it deeply, there is a chance for it – in it for the bowlers, and I think that's what the bowlers would be looking to do.”

One player who has emerged with great credit from a bowling perspective for India has been Hardik Pandya, who played a crucial role in the wins over Afghanistan and Pakistan.

His development has given the Indian selectors greater flexibility, and Arun explained how he has expanded his repertoire in order to become a reliable option to bowl a full complement of ten overs.

He said: “Over a period time it was a big challenge for Hardik to bowl those 10 overs, and he realised that to be able to bowl those 10 overs he needed to develop a certain armoury in his bowling.

“And that's what he's worked on. He's worked on his slow balls, his slow bouncers also, and also he's worked on perfecting his bouncers. So all these put together have given him the confidence to go through those 10 overs.”

While India remain unbeaten, they were given a scare by Afghanistan in their last match, the first time their batsmen have not really fired in the competition.

Instead it was Mohammed Shami who saw the team home, taking a hat-trick in the final over to seal an 11-run victory, and Arun revealed how a conversation when Shami was dropped back in 2018 had helped him turn things around.

Arun said: “It was a pretty long conversation. Shami was in a totally different mindset. And we had to – the head coach, me, all of us had to sit down and speak to him and kind of draw a future map for him and had to convince him regarding that. And he was going through certain personal problems as well at that point in time.

“So beyond all that, I think what has really got him into the situation that he is, his ability to play cricket and that's exactly what we made him focus on. And I think the rest is there for everybody to see.”
 
27 June - Manchester - India player KL Rahul post-match press conference

Q. K.L., how better or bad was this pitch compared to the last one in Southampton, considering here also run making was not that easy? So comparing the two pitches?

K.L. RAHUL: Again, I think it was pretty similar to Southampton. Southampton was overall slow, but here it was two-paced -- few bounces were going through. So, I think that's why getting runs was harder for the new batsmen. Batsmen had a better chance of rotating the strike or getting the boundary options, which unfortunately didn't happen, set batsmen kept getting out. So it became difficult. But I think on wickets like this, 260, 270 still becomes a good score.

Q. Rahul, when the innings ended, the experts seemed divided on whether this was a good enough score for India to defend. What was the feeling in the dressing room?

K.L. RAHUL: After the first 10 overs, the check we had in the middle, me and Rohit and then me and Virat, what we assessed. And the message we sent into the dressing room was the same thing, that this is not a 300, 330 wicket; it's a 260, 270 wicket. We need to keep that in mind and try to play that way.

And we know that if there are two set batsmen by 35th, 40th over, we will end up getting maybe 10, 15 runs extra, which didn't happen, but we still managed to get 260 on this wicket. We still managed to get 240-odd in Southampton which is good. But there's -- the only area where we can improve as a batting unit is that set batsman has to go on and bat longer and get a bigger score.

Q. In the first 10 overs through this tournament we've seen openers are taking their time and playing the waiting game. Being an opener yourself your thoughts on that and why is that sort of an approach that we're seeing rather than teams going all out attack in the first 10?

K.L. RAHUL: Look, in One Day Internationals over the years I think we have seen it and you guys have seen that kind of approach because it's bilateral series and it's a different ballgame and this is a World Cup -- the pressure is really high.

So as a batsman you can't really go out there and play that kind of innings with that kind of freedom fully. But, I mean, with the kind of batting we have, with the kind of firepower we have in the back end, we know that initially we can take a little bit of time and the important thing, the plan is for the top three or top four, one of us to -- even if we take them we are the kind of players where we can make up later.

So we have that kind of confidence in the batting unit. So we don't mind taking that little extra time. And with conditions being -- today was a slow wicket. If we go to the next game, there might be a bit of same movement, might be overcast.

So we need to be flexible in our heads. We can't always say that one-day cricket, flat wicket doesn't mean we get 360, 370. We need to be flexible.

Q. It's been three matches since you went back to the top of the order. You got starts on three occaions. How do you assess the way it has gone, the fact that you're not kicked down to a sort of big score? How do you look at that?

K.L. RAHUL: A bit disappointing. After doing the hard work and after getting through the first 10 overs or 15 overs, or as an opening batsmen to get the first 25, 30 runs is the hardest time. And to do that when the time comes to accelerate and maybe take the game deeper so our lower order can come in and play freely, like how they can damage -- we know they come after 35 or at 40, they can do maximum damage.

So it's important that we do that and that's the plan, that's the role of the top three, top four. So a bit disappointed that I haven't been able to do that. But again I can sit -- I will sit and assess, but it won't worry me that much because there are a lot of things I'm doing right, and I know that the mistakes I've made I can learn from them and get better.

Q. Just taking forward that same question, can you talk about the two strokes that you played, one against Afghanistan, there was three together when you got out today? Like, you seem to be before that in a very good headspace, and then just that you've committed mistake. What goes through your mind? Talk about why did you pick those two strokes.

K.L. RAHUL: That is what is the most difficult thing about batting, isn't it? One, you might look like you're not in any trouble for 100 balls, 120 balls or 50, 60 balls, and then sometimes you end up making a mistake.

Like, Afghanistan was -- I wouldn't say it was a bad shot. It was a shot I play all the time. And more often than not I hit it for four, so I get it away. But unfortunately I didn't execute it. But the planning and the timing of that shot maybe was questionable because I needed to stitch up a partnership with Virat.

And, like I said, again, bat 30, 30-odd overs and then look to accelerate. So these are the things that maybe I've done wrong in the few games --

Q. And today?

K.L. RAHUL: Today, again, look, I mean, like I said, one ball, I mean, gets you sometimes. And today, a good bowler -- as a bowler, you're allowed to bowl good. As a batsman, it disappoints you but then again you know bowlers are allowed to bowl good bowls. And you do make mistakes.

And I can't sit back and break my head about it. I just go on and try to start fresh in Birmingham and try to get a big one.

Q. You play England on Sunday. Are you surprised at how England have struggled? And the fact that if you win you almost knock them out of the tournament provide extra motivation?

K.L. RAHUL: Look, I don't think any team goes in with that kind of mindset. We all want to do and perform the best we can as individuals and as teams. If we play the best cricket and if we play the kind of cricket that we've been playing in the last four or five games. That will be where -- we'll end up most probably on the winning side. Again winning and losing isn't what we're focused on right now. And everybody individually and as a team, we're focused on doing, getting our plans right, executing our skills right and again a big game against England. So hopefully the confidence and the momentum that we have we can carry that to Birmingham and it will be great to get more wins.

Q. Over the last two years you waited for an opportunity at the top. Now you are getting in but you started the tournament in the middle of the batting order. Is it easy to come into a tournament thinking, okay, I'll be batting in the middle and then suddenly going up especially, when you've been waiting for that opportunity for a long time? How has that mindset changed, or what do you think?

K.L. RAHUL: I mean, at this level I think you need to be ready for anything and when you're playing for your country, you need to really have an open mind and it's not just -- it's not that it just happened. I know that Shikhar getting injured was unfortunate. And I had to go to the top of the order.

But not that I never prepared for opening the batting. In my head, the last one or two years I have been preparing for whatever might be my role, I need to be ready and I need to prepare in that way. So I prepared -- I had to prepare hard for number four because that's not where I batted all my life. I did that. And now to come back to opening the batting again, it's just a bit more comfortable and easier for me because I've batted it all my life.

So I won't say it's easier or hard; we need to be ready and it's the need of the game and whatever the team wants, you need to be able to do it.

Q. Virat seems to be back in a different zone. Having seen him from the other end, what do you think he's doing which others are unable to do?

K.L. RAHUL: Look, I think nothing -- I don't think he's doing anything different. He's been doing the same thing for however long I can remember since the time he started playing cricket, this is what he's been doing, performing consistently, and no matter what condition, what wicket condition, who the bowlers are, he always finds a way to get runs, always finds a way to put the bowlers under pressure.

And batting with him just makes it a bit more easier because the focus is on him and you can get away with some boundaries. And he's been batting well and, like I said, I don't think it's just this tournament. I mean, he just kept batting well, whenever you see IPL or Test cricket or T20 cricket or One Day International, he just keeps coming back and keeps putting those performances again and again.

And that's what is great to see and inspiring for us and the team to learn from him and probably understand and have the same kind of passion and go out every game wanting to do well for the country.

Q. You talked about the batting firepower in the middle order. But is it a concern at all that unless Kohli, Virat or Rohit score bigger runs you'll probably struggle to get past 300?

K.L. RAHUL: We can't always go in thinking it's a 300 wicket. The last two wickets haven't been the easiest to bat. Yet, without none of us scoring a hundred, we still managed to get 240 and 260, 260-plus today, which is great, which only gives us more confidence in our batting unit, knowing that if one of us or two of us go on to get a big 50 or a big hundred, it will just make it easier to get us to 300.
 
Rahul eyes England match after praising India’s restraint in West Indies victory

India opener KL Rahul admits that the special pressure of a World Cup has caused batsmen to rein in their attacking instincts.

This is Rahul’s third match back at the top of the order, following the injury to Shikhar Dhawan that ended the left-hander’s tournament.

India have been the slowest starters of all the ten teams in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, scoring at only three runs per over in the first five overs, but they have lost only one wicket in that time.

Their risk-free approach is clearly paying off as they remain the only unbeaten side left in the tournament as it hots up for the final week of the group stage.

India’s 125-run victory at Old Trafford also knocked West Indies out of the tournament.

Many experts were predicting a run-fest in the build-up to the tournament, with some even suggesting that the 500-run barrier could be broken.

But Rahul explained: “In one-day internationals over the years we have seen the approach [of all-out attack] in bilateral series.

“But this is a different ball game, this is a World Cup. The pressure is really high so as a batsman you can’t go out and play with that sort of freedom.”

West Indies felt they had done a good job to restrict India to 268/7 but Rahul believed it was a decent score all along.

He said: “The pitch was pretty similar to Southampton but it was a bit more two-paced which is why it was hard for a new batsman to score.

“A set batsman had a better chance of rotating the strike or taking a boundary option. That didn’t happen and the set batsmen kept getting out. But on wickets like this 260-270 becomes a good score.

“After the first ten overs, the message we sent to the dressing room was that this isn’t a 300 pitch. We know that if there are two set batsmen by the 35th or 40th overs we would get 15 or 20 extra runs.

“But the kind of batting we have and with the firepower we have at the back end we know we can take a little bit of time. We have the kind of players who can make it up later.

“We have that kind of confidence so we don’t mind taking that extra bit of time. This was a slow pitch and the next game there might be a bit of seam movement or it might be overcast.

“So we need to be flexible in our heads. We can’t always just think it’s one-day cricket, flat wicket so we get 360-370.”

Rahul has done well in the opener’s berth with scores of 57, 30 and 48 so far but admits disappointment that he has not gone on to a big total.

At Old Trafford, he was bowled by a beauty from Windies’ skipper Jason Holder that angled in between bat and pad.

He said: “It’s a bit disappointing after doing the hard work. But there are a lot of things that I am doing right. And you have to remember that the bowlers are allowed to bowl good balls.

“That’s the way we can improve as a batting unit for one of the set batsmen to go on and get a big score.”

Rahul is confident that his side can come out on top against the hosts England in their next match on Sunday at Edgbaston.

It is a must-win game for England but Rahul is focused on India’s fortunes, saying: “We all just want to perform the best we can. If we play the kind of cricket we have in the last few games then we will probably end up on the winning side.

“It’s a big game against England and hopefully we can carry the confidence and momentum to Birmingham and get another win.”
 
Slow and steady wins the race as India maintain unbeaten record

India have the look of a team just coming nicely to the boil, much like the English summer that is forecast to reach heatwave territory at the weekend.

Their 125-run victory knocked West Indies out of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and maintained their status as the only unbeaten side left in this tournament.

India reclaimed the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI Team Rankings for the first time in 14 months – to add to their equivalent status in the Test rankings – before they had even bowled a ball. England’s comprehensive defeat by Australia at Lord’s on Tuesday knocked the hosts off the top spot.

Old Trafford was the venue where, in 1983, India first shocked West Indies, the world’s best side at the time who had not lost a single World Cup fixture in the two previous tournaments. A fortnight later, outsiders India did it again to lift the first of their two World Cups and transform the game in their country.

MS Dhoni is the only player in this Indian side who was born at the time of that 1983 triumph and he was memorably the captain who finished the 2011 tournament with a towering six into the Mumbai night to complete India’s victory over Sri Lanka.

He finished off his unbeaten 56 at Old Trafford with a six too and although the two situations are not remotely comparable, this was a contribution of significance to team and self.

It was not India’s highest score – that honour went inevitably to Virat Kohli whose 72 took him past 20,000 international runs across all formats. He is the fastest of the 12 men to reach that monumental milestone.

But this was Dhoni’s first half-century of the tournament and was compiled in the manner that we have come to expect from the Indian gloveman, who is ten days away from his 38th birthday.

Captain Virat Kohli said of his predecessor: “He knows exactly what he is doing out there. The best thing is that when we need those extra 15 or 20 runs he knows exactly how to get them.”

Dhoni began circumspectly with 20 runs coming from his first 40 balls but 36 came from the next 21 as he and Hardik Pandya enjoyed a frenetic sixth-wicket stand of 70 from ten overs.

That partnership stretched India’s total from potentially manageable for West Indies to out of reach on a surface that had previously been used in the Windies’ thriller against New Zealand last weekend.

India scored 82 off the last ten overs and 49 off the last five, justifying once again their very precise approach to setting a target.

At three runs per over in the first five overs, they are the slowest starters in the tournament but crucially they have lost only one wicket in that period in their six games so far.

The margin of victory would suggest that Shai Hope’s stumping miss when Dhoni had scored only eight was of limited significance but at the time it felt like a turning point.

Dhoni was so far down the pitch when left-arm spinner Fabian Allen got one past his outside edge that Hope had enough time to have two stabs at removing Dhoni. But having missed the first opportunity, he failed to grab the ball at the second attempt and when he knocked the bails off with his right glove the ball was still on the ground.

Dhoni had his own stumping miss but he made up for it with a spectacular right-handed diving catch to remove Carlos Brathwaite off Jasprit Bumrah.

Hope’s day got no better, though, and he became one of Mohammed Shami’s four victims, bowled by a beauty that seamed in between bat and pad before clipping off stump.

Shami’s figures of 4/16 leave him with a remarkable haul of 8/56 from the last two matches, following his hat-trick against Afghanistan.

ICC media release
 
Krish Srikkanth: Kohli brilliance needs to be backed up by Indian teammates

What more can we say about Virat Kohli at this point? He continues to break new ground for India. But it is more than that, this is a man re-writing the record books in the history of our great game.

To reach 20,000 runs quicker than any man before him is a fantastic achievement but his true greatness lies in his adaptability.

The captain can play every role for his team, across every format.

He can drop anchor and let his partner shine if that is what the team needs, then he can shift through the gears if the situation demands and keep pushing the run rate.

This is his true mastery, he can manoeuvre and control a game and pace himself beautifully.

The only concern for India is that the batting at the moment is slightly the Virat Kohli show.

Admittedly, it was the partnership of MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya that won the last game against the West Indies.

But at the top of the order, Rohit Sharma has not fired the last couple of times, and that means KL Rahul needs to do more.

He has made some fantastic starts but then got himself out – he will know better than anyone that he must convert those starts into big scores. Everyone knows he is capable of doing it, he has done it before and will need to correct his course.

In the middle order Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav have yet to really convince. I think it’s fair to say that their approach needs some fine-tuning.

If I was involved with the team management, I think I would consider putting a guy like Rishabh Pant in at No.4.

They have brought him over here now, he is ready to go and, most importantly, he has played in England before so understands the conditions.

We saw him impress in the Test series here last summer when he came into the side and with England up next, maybe now is a good time to get him in there against a familiar opponent.

Of course the batting concerns have been papered over in the last couple of games by the bowlers so it hasn’t mattered quite as much as it could have.

India’s bowling has been fantastic all tournament.

Mohammed Shami has come in and been a real wicket taker – the same guy who was so impressive at the last ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup four years ago.

And the best news of all is that the wrist spinners are coming to the party.

As this tournament reaches the business end, they are going to be more and more important and Kohli will be so pleased with how they are performing.

Next up is England, who just maybe have a slight weakness against wrist spin, and it will be fascinating to see how the game unfolds at Edgbaston.

India against England, on Sunday, in Birmingham, I think it’s the biggest game of the tournament so far. Momentum is everything in a World Cup, and right now India have it.

They come into the game unbeaten and will be desperate to keep it that way while England are in ‘must-win’ territory now.

India can afford to lose, but they won’t want to – carrying that positive mindset into the semi-finals is absolutely crucial.

Look at Australia, they have wrestled back momentum, Pakistan are peaking at just the right time, it is now or never for England.

I think the toss is going to be absolutely vital – the captain that calls correctly, bats first and puts a score on the board will be the winning one when all is said and done.

© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2019. All rights reserved
 
In Jasprit Bumrah, India have the world’s number one ranked bowler, but this ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has shown their attack is about more than one man.

Bumrah was brilliant once again in the 125-run victory over the West Indies at Old Trafford, taking 2/9 from his six overs.

However, it is the rest of the attack, from Mohammed Shami, who took four wickets for the second straight game, to Hardik Pandya, emerging as viable fifth option, as well as spin pair Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, that has made India such a formidable proposition.

For the second successive game, they were forced to defend a relatively small total, 268 on this occasion, and they did so convincingly.

And for wrist-spinner Kuldeep, the way the attack is coming together as a team can only bode well for the remainder of the competition.

“Jasprit has been bowling really well and has been for a couple of years since his international debut,” said Kuldeep, who took 1/35 including the crucial wicket of Nicholas Pooran for 28.

“Then you have Shami, who was only playing his second game and bowled really well. We’ve got a good fast bowling attack, as well as spinners.

“We’re just looking for the team combination. We’re doing really well as a bowling attack and that is important. In the last game (against Afghanistan) we defended 225 and showed we can defend a total like this.”

Although the final result was one-sided, the West Indies seemed very much in the hunt at the halfway stage.

Kemar Roach’s three wickets had helped them put India into a pressure situation, but MS Dhoni (56 not out) and Pandya (46) made telling contributions, with Kuldeep thrilled at the way the team came through a tricky situation.

And it’s another huge confidence boost ahead of a showdown with England at Edgbaston on Sunday

He added: “We played really well. At one moment we were looking at 250 and then Mahendra and Hardik gave us a good total.

“270 was really good on this track. Later the ball was spinning a bit and that gave us momentum. Shami picking up two early wickets was huge for us, then Hardik got one and I got one so it was a really satisfying performance.”
 
India's got an uphill battle to fight against England today in this daunting run-chase, and with Rahul dismissed and India's middle order in poor form, is all the pressure on Kohli and Rohit to get them over the line today?
 
Vijay Shankar, who suffered a "toe niggle" ahead of the India vs England World Cup 2019 clash on Sunday, has been ruled out of the tournament. According to PTI, Vijay Shankar is likely to be replaced by uncapped Mayank Agarwal in India's World Cup 2019 squad. Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal, 28, who made his Test debut against Australia last year, is yet to play in the One-Day International (ODI) format. Vijay Shankar is the second Indian player to be ruled out of the World Cup 2019, after opener Shikhar Dhawan injured his thumb. "Vijay got hit on the toe by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery once again. His situation is not great and he won't be able to take part in the tournament. He is going back home," a a senior BCCI official told PTI.

"The Indian team management is likely to ask for Mayank Agarwal as replacement since he is an opener and also it might give KL Rahul a chance to get back to the No.4 position in case Rishabh Pant fails in the next two games," the source added.

In fact, Rohit Sharma had mentioned Shankar's injury but it was presumed to be an old hit that he took at Southampton.

It is expected that Agarwal's name will be approved by the ICC's tournament technical committee and the player will arrive in Birmingham and travel to Leeds subsequently.

India lost their previous match to England by 31 runs in Birmingham on Sunday and will take on Bangladesh at the same venue on Tuesday.

https://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2...-2019-due-to-injury-2062073?pfrom=home-livetv
 
India looking to add power to their batting line up for Bangladesh match

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravi Jadeja are under consideration for an India recall against Bangladesh, as the two-time winners look to shake-up their team following a first World Cup defeat.

India went down by 31 runs to hosts England at Edgbaston and are still yet to confirm a semi-final place.

Win against Bangladesh and they will do just that but batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes some added oomph with the bat is required.

A slow run-rate was blamed for Sunday’s loss, despite Rohit Sharma scoring his third century of the tournament with a fine 102, and Bangar believes a lack of depth lower down the order forced his batsmen to take fewer risks.

Bowling all-rounder Kumar has not played since suffering a muscle injury against Pakistan two weeks ago, with Mohammed Shami coming into the side and cementing his place with 13 wickets in three games, while Jadeja – a spinner who boats 10 ODI fifties – has yet to feature at the tournament.

“If you don’t have major contributions from the middle order then someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar lower down becomes really important,” Bangar said.

“Anyone who is handy at number eight, and it could be Jadeja, gives you some freedom. It takes the pressure off those batting at six and seven so that they can start going at the bowling a little earlier.

“From that point of view, it is a tactic we are thinking about. There will be a point in the tournament where we have to assess every combination.”

He added: “I think after the England game, the management team will be more open to various combinations.

“We are open to all combinations. Three seamers can play, with Hardik [Pandya] as the fourth seamer, or we can look at Ravindra Jadeja coming in.

“We are thinking about all of these things.”

Bangladesh need to win to keep their own hopes alive and they will have noted how England overcame India, with a key emphasis on attacking the spinners.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav conceded 97 runs from the first ten overs between them on against England, with Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy dishing out the punishment.

However, Bangar insists knowledge is power and has backed them to respond.

“Playing on the same track, we know the wicket and dimensions well. We will also learn from a bowling perspective, because in the last six or seven overs against England we gave away a lot of runs," he added.

“That was an area where the game slipped away from us a bit so we will look at that and learn for the next game. Every game will be crucial and we need to learn things for the next game.

“It was one of their [spinners] off-days but they have been doing really well for us. We need to continue to back them in the next games.

“They will have a crucial role to play.”
 
Krish Srikkanth: Defeat to England shows India still have areas for improvement

India are still going to qualify for the semi-finals – it is just a question of when and in what position in the top four.

Defeat to England is certainly not a disaster – it was a fantastic game of cricket and really you have to say India were totally outplayed by the better team.

They have to accept their defeat in a gracious manner and move on to their final two games against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

There are still some problems for India to fix, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the main run getters at the moment and they need some support.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were both superb again with the ball as well, but the spinners had an off-day – these things can happen.

England came with a plan to attack – their backs were against the wall and they came out swinging.

Ben Stokes did a fantastic job at the death to add more runs to the total and Liam Plunkett was fantastic with the ball in those middle overs.

I don’t think England will be leaving Plunkett out again this tournament, he performs such an important job for them.

But while Stokes and Plunkett were impressive, the real difference between the two sides was undoubtedly the way Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow went after the spin of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Roy’s return is clearly absolutely vital to this England team, not just for the runs he scores but in the way he sets an aggressive tone from the off for the rest of the batsmen to follow.

In their recent defeats they had been missing those great starts, the platforms that Roy and Bairstow invariably build.

They refused to let the spinners settle, they played their natural game and went for the kill and it left Kohli in a very difficult situation.

This is a very important win for England, they are in a do or die situation and to win this emphatically against such a strong India side will get them a massive confidence boost before they play New Zealand in their last game.

For India, a chase of 338 was never an easy task, even if it was quite a flat wicket at Edgbaston. It could have been even higher if not for the mastery of Bumrah in his final five overs.

But when Sharma and Kohli were going along nicely in the middle, they gave England a proper scare.

Even when Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant – who I thought did very well in his first-ever World Cup game – were in that partnership the game was still in the balance.

But in the end England fully deserved their win while India can take heart from getting over 300 in their first proper chase of this tournament.

That will stand India in good stead moving forward and they have to use this defeat as a learning experience.

There’s no need to panic, every team including Australia have lost at least one game at this tournament. India will bounce back and get their semi-final spot.

© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2019. All rights reserved
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BouncerGuy
"India's B Team Will Beat This Pakistan Team": Atul Wassan
2
Replies
116
Views
2K
Devadwal
Devadwal
RidiculousMan
[PICTURE] India's batting is 5X better than Pakistan in T20I format
Replies
11
Views
429
TexasRattlesnake
TexasRattlesnake
D
Congratulations to India on a moral victory for this series
2 3 4
Replies
240
Views
6K
saimayubera
S
M
PCB still uncertain about boycotting Asia Cup as ICC refuse to remove Andy Pycroft
3 4 5
Replies
320
Views
3K
Devadwal
Devadwal
BouncerGuy
Netherlands tour of Bangladesh (2025) - 3 T20Is
Replies
50
Views
746
sweep_shot
sweep_shot
Back
Top