After many highs and lows in Australia, the Indian team is getting ready for the second phases of the World Cup, the league stage, in New Zealand. With four consecutive wins under their belt, the team is eager to keep their lead with opponents in Pool B.
With two more matches still to be played against minnows like Ireland and Zimbabwe, the Indian team has decided to move on from what happened in the game against the West Indies’. So what did happen in the game against the Indies? The Indian bowlers were just impeccable.
What lead the side down was the fielding. India displayed good standards on-field in the first three matches of the competition, but looked lacklustre is the last match against the West Indies. There were three dropped catches and some of the best fielders in the team lost the plot.
There is no cricket logic to explain why good fielders drop catches. For MS Dhoni, the solution is to move on by brushing it under the carpet. On the batting front, the top-order got a taste of some disciplined bowling. Indian batsmen had less room to free their arms and unleash big strokes at will.
It was the first time in the World Cup when the likes of Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were tested. There was bounce and pace on the Perth pitch and it was difficult to negotiate it. In the end a win is a win – no matter what.
Now in New Zealand, challenges for MS Dhoni and his men are different. The bowlers will get smaller boundaries and there could be occasions when the pitch will be double paced. But being the defending champions, India will have to beat the odds.
Fortunately, both Ireland and Zimbabwe, against whom India will play, are lesser known teams so resting key bowlers won’t be a bad idea. This speaks volumes about the bowling form of the Indian pack after seeing fit-again Bhuvneshwar Kumar dropped from the playing XI to accommodate in-form Mohammed Shami in the West Indies match.
Generally, India don’t tamper with the playing XI much during the tournament. It doesn’t matter who the opposition is, you have to be at your best when you’re playing the World Cup!
