Hyderabad: The excitement of the Cricket World Cup is increasing day by day. Four semi-finalists have been decided and now these teams will face each other. India's performance in this World Cup has been exceptionally strong.
India has entered the semi-finals with an unbeaten run in the league stage so far. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will play their last league game against minnows the Netherlands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. The 'Men in Blue' will now face fourth-ranked New Zealand in the semi-final at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
In the last World Cup, New Zealand defeated India in the semi-finals and shattered their dream of winning the title. Now India will be eager to take revenge for that defeat in this World Cup. Legendary wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer had a special conversation with 'ETV Bharat' from Manchester in England about the performance of Team India.
This team is a champion: Farokh Engineer said, 'Team India's performance so far as the host country has been fantastic. We are the best team in the World Cup. This is one of the strongest Indian teams I have ever seen. This team looks balanced in every area."
"The team has improved tremendously in fielding. After India's first match (against Australia in Chennai), I told my friends, 'This team is the champion'," added Engineer. He mentioned that India is the strongest contender for the title of world champion.
There is no reason for India to fail: India had entered the semi-finals after strong performances in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup league matches. But both times they could not cross the semi-final hurdle. However, according to 85-year-old Farokh Engineer, India's present World Cup campaign is different from the previous campaigns. "Never before has there been such depth in the batting or bowling of Team India. I don't see any reason why India should fail in this World Cup," he asserted.
Rahul Dravid continued the legacy of Ravi Shastri: Farokh Engineer also praised Team India's head coach Rahul Dravid. "Rahul Dravid has done an amazing job as a coach. Rahul Dravid carried on the legacy of (former India head coach) Ravi Shastri. Because of him (Rahul Dravid), Team India is playing a very attractive and positive brand of cricket, which is essential to win the match in any situation. Also, captain Rohit Sharma is coming forward and leading the team," added Engineer, who also played for domestic giants Mumbai. Engineer also said that Rohit Sharma, who has amassed 442 runs so far, is not playing for himself but for the team in this World Cup.
Hardik's absence is unfortunate: Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the World Cup due to an ankle injury. Engineer said that it was unfortunate that Hardik was not in the team. "Hardik is a top-class all-rounder. But it is unfortunate that he is not in the team. Only 11 players can play in a team. This shows India's bench strength. Which team will not miss Hardik? But (Mohammed) Shami is as good as him," added Engineer, a former right-handed batter.
"(Pacer) Jasprit Bumrah is playing the best cricket of his career. Kuldeep's (Yadav) balls cannot be read by foreign players. (Mohammed) Siraj, (Ravindra) Jadeja and Virat (Kohli) are also giving their best. What more can a team captain (Rohit Sharma) expect from his team", he added.
Big supporter of the Afghanistan team: The performance of the Afghanistan team in this World Cup impressed everyone. They are sixth in the points table with four wins from nine matches. Engineer also praised the performance of the Afghanistan team.
"I am a big supporter of the Afghanistan team. They have struggled to gain recognition, but they will be one of the strongest teams in world cricket in times to come. Afghanistan's spin attack is the best in the world. Their batters are also good. They just lack experience," Engineer concluded.
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