India play their first match of the ICC World Cup 2015 on this Sunday, 15th of February, against arch-rivals Pakistan. Could India do the impossible and retain the World Cup which they won with such passion in 2011 back in India? Won’t be easy, because their recent run of form indicates that the Indian cricket team is hardly invincible. We speak to some of the legends of the game and ask their opinion.
Mathew Hayden, former Australian Test cricketer and one of the greatest opening batsmen of all time
“Most of the teams have a pace battery working for them. India’s new ball options are very ordinary and Stuart Binny is not the right bowler to start with. If the wicket is green, like in New Zealand, he can be asked to open the bowling. I think Umesh Yadav is an option. This kind of bowling will put immense pressure on the batsmen. Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan will all be needed to bat out of their skins. This kind of situation does not help the team,”
“In Australia, you need a spearhead. Actually, two spearheads. You had Ishant Sharma but he is out of the competition. India’s current bowling attack suits green pitches but when was the last time there was a green wicket in Australia. I think there has not been one since 1996. We have hard, flat, bouncy and dry pitches where raw pace matters.”
“The Indian team can be destructive with the bat. They can’t be worried by the fact that you will have to be chasing down big totals. The batsmen have to take all the pressure on their shoulder.”
Gary Kirstein, former South African cricketer and India’s 2011 World Cup winning ex-coach.
“The Indians have a really good chance of retaining the trophy. They have produced a new team after 2011 and they have had incredible success. I think the Champions Trophy win was a tremendous event for them and they have an incredibly strong side, which will be tough to beat.”
“They have all forgotten about 2011 and are focusing on the upcoming World Cup. New time, renewed hopes, they will be doing their best to retain the trophy.”
“Virat is a tremendous player, it’s just his ability to perform and produce results for the team and he is very good at chasing down totals. Presently Kohli and Hashim Amla are the best ODI batsmen. I believe he is going to stand tall among his peers in the World Cup too.,”
Inzaman ul Haq, former Pakistani Test cricketer
“In 1992, we went to Australia one month before the tournament began and lost all six practice matches. Later, we went on to win the Cup. In order to do well in the tournament, the dressing room atmosphere needs to perfect. In the past, India and Pakistan have lost matches in the dressing rooms.”
Kapil Dev, former captain of the Indian cricket team Indian cricket legend, who won the World Cup of 1983 for the country
“We don’t need big names, we need big commitments from the players to win big tournaments. For me, the first 15 overs would be crucial. If you can keep scoring at a decent rate without losing wickets, a team like India could accelerate well towards the end of the innings. If a team could manage to score 270 runs, you have a match in hand.”
Jonty Rhodes, former South African Test cricketer, known to be the best fielder in the history of cricket
“Last time, India played at home and enjoyed the advantage. This time, Australians are playing at home and so I don’t rule them out.”
