Chennai (Tamil Nadu): India begins their campaign for the home Cup on the backfoot with their star performer Shubham Gill most likely out of action on account of fever. But, take a look at their robust bench strength and the replacement of Gill looks sorted.
Ishan Kishan, who is likely to open with Rohit Sharma in the World Cup’s first match against Australia, has the wherewithal and the hunger to give India the start it requires against the yellow brigade. Whether he can manage to make his passion play handmaiden to stability at the crease will determine the fortunes of his team.
Chennai, the seat of the Chennai Super Kings, has evolved over the years, turning its affection from fast bowlers to spinners. With the spin troika of Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in command, it may well become team India’s favourite hunting ground in this World Cup.
The evening training the full Indian team undertook in prep for the match was evidence enough of its intent and commitment to craft a journey to reach the summit in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Team India just won the ODI series against Australia 2-1 so the players will be in fine fettle against the awesome Aussies, who have won five World Cups till now.
With home support, a well-orchestrated playing 11 and the very Indian conditions, it would be surprising if India lose their first match tomorrow.
Having said that, the Australians who did not play full potential in the series preceding the Cup, have spent enough time in the nation to acclimatise to the conditions – and of course, Chennai is their favourite hunting ground.
Their pace battery led by Mitchel Starc and supported by turn-delight Adam Zampa has the potential to pose enough problems for any opposition, even though the team will miss Ashton Agar at Chepauk. However, Adam Zampa especially can be the turning point for Team India which has recently been showing a surprising vulnerability to spin bowling.
Chennai, the seat of the Chennai Super Kings, has evolved over the years, turning its affection from fast bowlers to spinners. With the spin troika of Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in command, it may well become team India’s favourite hunting ground in this World Cup.
Matching up to the Australian quicks, however, is the well-endowed bowling department of India with Jasprit Bumrah back in action full throttle and Mohammad Siraj, now No.1 in ICC rankings, flexing muscle from the other end.
Mohammad Shami, who is known to go for runs, is also a partnership breaker, who strikes when it hurts the opposition the most.
Kuldeep Yadav has neared perfection in spinning out oppositions and has grown to be the skipper’s go-to man in tough conditions. Kuldeep Yadav is on a golden run and is being considered key to the proceedings in the middle for the big Chennai opener, which will set the pace for the team in this World Cup.
The pitch at Chennai is inviting for the masters of guile with its brown and black soil all set to give currency to spinners. So, a spin battery of Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav is likely to make the cut to the team in India’s opener.
To aid and abet an Indian win, the Australian batting line-up has not been on the top of its game for some time. Steve Smith, who has long carried the reputation of being an impossible man to fall at the crease, has been fighting willow niggles in his own personal silly season.
But David Warner, who will be playing his last World Cup, has been on a song and is the man to fear and get. Marcus Stoinis is doubtful for Australia for this one as skipper Pat Cummins divulged in his pre-match presser.
However, he pointed out that he has the luxury of all-rounders giving depth to the Australian batting line-up all the way to No.9.
“Allrounders are a luxury we have, especially in the ODI format where they are needed the most,” he said.
And then players like Glenn Maxwell, who have always been a threat whether taking guard or marking the run-up, need to be dealt with caution and care by Rohit Sharma.
Glenn Maxwell is fresh from Rajkot where he cut into the Indian defence to win the ODI match for his team when all seemed lost.
In the Indian camp, with run-builders like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to name a few in the squad, Chennai or Ahmedabad — where the real big one awaits in public perception — nothing is a frontier that cannot be conquered.
Going to Motera on a high will at least take the steam off the pressure which players admit on both sides of the border is high in any India-Pakistan encounter.
But for now, it is the Aussies who need to be taken care of because as Rohit Sharma says and we all know— a dented Aussie is as powerful as one on a trot.
Last, when India met the Australians in an Indian World Cup, the Men in Blue had the better of them at Motera, cutting off their winning streak to reach the semi-finals of five World Cups.
The Aussies don’t let memories fade away so a tough fight will be dazzling the spectators at the cricket ground tomorrow afternoon.
