No one thought that we would be looking at today’s match between India and New Zealand as virtual quarterfinals, which we would need to win to remain in the race for the semi-finals. It’s the same for the kiwis too. Both sides have lost their first encounter and against the same team — Pakistan!
Both sides would be under intense pressure, but for India it’s a different kind of pressure altogether. The pressure to live up to the expectations of the 1.3 billion demanding fans who expect nothing less than the World Cup this time. In comparison, New Zealand has a population of 3.5 million people. Just to keep things in perspective, these many people live in my vicinity of the NCR! And, unlike in India, cricket is not treated as a religion in New Zealand. India’s pressure is further compounded by archrivals Pakistan’s red hot form.
At their best, India can beat New Zealand and get to the second position in the group. Also reassuring is the body language and demeanor of the Indian team. Virat Kohli and his boys seem to be in the usual aggressive mode.
Coming to today’s match, I don’t see any knee-jerk reaction from Team India. Kohli may more or less retain the last match’s team, with one or two minor changes. The toss remains the key aspect of the game, and the side batting first will have the advantage. Afghanistan, however, in their last match against Pakistan at the same venue, won the toss and threw the gauntlet to Pakistan by batting first and still took the match to the wire; it needed an Asif Ali special to take Pakistan home.
The plus for India is that Rohit Sharma is due for a big score and Hardik Pandya is turning his arm over. So, on paper, India seem to have an edge if they can play to their billing and potential.
The Indian team is a battle-hardy outfit and capable of absorbing the pressure. They should do well to tackle the threats from Kane Williamson and Trent Boult. The fans and the media tom-tommed the past record versus Pakistan and we all know the result and the thrashing we got from Babar Azam and his boys. This time statistics give Kiwis the upper hand as they have dominated India in T20 in the last 8-10 games. But I have maintained that players should not get swayed by these ‘bikini’ stats, as was manifested in the last India-Pakistan match. Such stats show a lot but hide the important bits.
I would like India to be more flexible in making a couple of changes. Lack of swing means that Shardul Thakur can pip Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rahul Chahar may find a place in the playing 11 as a wrist spinner. A six-day break can be a bonus for the IPL-jaded stars of India, but it can also be a rhythm-breaker. However, the fact remains that one bad game does not make a good team ordinary, and that’s where the presence of MS Dhoni in the dressing room will be important in keeping the boys in a good mental state.
All in all, it could be a cracker of a match, and would be interesting to see Boult take on Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah bowl to Kane Williamson. So, tighten your belt and enjoy the ride, guys. Personally, I feel it’s going to be India’s match all the way. But for that Team India will have to play out of their skins against the competitive Kiwis.
The writer is a former India fast bowler and a cricket expert. Views expressed are personal.
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