Surat : Foremost determinant of the possible triumph of India in ICC World Cup would be Mr Dependable, The Great Wall of India- Rahul Dravid. His coaching has added new dimension to Indian Cricket Team. It seems that his determination, dedication & discipline is percolating in the players.
Rohit Sharma is leading from the front in his own style of aggression & elegance. His explosive merciless batting with great six hitting ability dominates the opposition & throws in whirlwind. Another run machine- Virat Kohli’s controlled aggression, flawless batting technique, ability to pace the innings according to the situation gives lot of strength to Indian top order.
Chemistry between these two veterans seems to be perfect on the field. Young & dynamic Shubhnan Gill- another classy batsman has matched wavelength with the skipper & complementing each other to give solid opening partnership. Shreyas Iyer’s confidence & consolidating role in the middle order has an added advantage.
K L Rahul with his quickies can throw surprises on the opposition. He has adapted smoothly from opener to No. 5. Slot. 360 Degree SKY- Suryakumar Yadav doesn’t find the place in the team itself is a sign of a robust Indian team. I think he should be given few chances to prepare him for the summit clashes.
Hardik Pandya’s prowess to changes the gears with bat & take crucial wickets has made him a quality all-rounder much required by us. Jadeja is really a Prince & his fearless approach to the game makes Indian team more composite. His bowling accuracy makes the batsmen to commit mistakes & often throw their wickets.
Kuldeep Yadav with his unorthodox style has thrown many surprises to the opponents. He is truly an asset to Indian team & could be the big game-changer. Jasprit Bumrah’s penetrating ability reminds us the likes of the great Kapil Dev & Javagal Srinath.
His sharp incoming deliveries are really difficult to handle for the batsmen. Mohammed Siraj is really applying the brain which he has proven against Pakistan on a flat track. Shardul Thakur has his own talent & can contribute with ball & bat. The quality stuff- Mohammed Shami also finds it difficult to find place in playing XI. But his services needs to be utilised according to the situation.
New Zealand is the strong contender for this world cup. However, Kane Williamson’s finger injury has added woes to the black caps. New Zealanders’ cool approach to the game makes them exceptional. They do not show emotions on field & appear quite a balanced side.
South Africa as usual perform very well in the initial leg of the tournament but it seems to be difficult for them to remove choker’s tag. But still we cannot underestimate them. England & Australia are struggling to find rhythm.
England have lost confidence after tasting defeat from the underdogs Afghanistan. Australia could take momentum after win over Sri Lanka. Pakistan is quite an unpredictable side & they can beat any team in world on their day.
Therefore, we cannot discount Pakistan from the contender’s list. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Afghanistan will have the role of stunning the opponents & disturbing the points table & Net Run Rate of other teams.
India has home advantage with ample experience, talent, quality coach & support team & hunger to grab the title..! Hopefully the fortune favours the herculean efforts of team India in lifting the ICC ODI trophy…!
(This article is authored by Dr Ajay B Pawar, Professor & Head, Dept of Community Medicine, SMIMER, Surat)
