Team India have started their World Cup 2023 campaign with a 6-wicket victory over Australia. India chased down the target of 200 runs in 41.2 overs.
Virat Kohli scored 85 and KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 97 after Ravindra Jadeja’s three-for, Kuldeep Yadav’s brace and a single wicket for R Ashwin had put Australia in misery with their spin choke.
But this win didn’t come without a big scare. A scare that reopened wounds from the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. Then India were 5/3, this time India were 2/3 with Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer getting out for ducks. This brief passage of play stunned the fans, and made even the generally calm Rohit Sharma nervous in the dressing room. But Kohli, who got a life as Mitch Marsh put his catch down, and Rahul steadied the ship to take India home.
India’s next game is against Afghanistan, on Wednesday in Delhi. The hosts are expected to sail through comfortably in this game against Afghanistan who started their tournament with a loss to Bangladesh in which they were bowled out for only 156 on a good pitch in Dharamshala.
Most of the talk and all the hype now is for the India’s third game of the tournament – against Pakistan on Saturday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
3 Indian players who played against Australia but could be dropped from the Pakistan game:
Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a golden duck against Australia, outside edging a loose drive off a Mitchell Starc delivery which he could have easily left alone. Kishan had played in Chennai because Shubman Gill is down with a fever; Gill is also ruled out from the Afghanistan game, so Kishan will get another opportunity.
Kishan needs to grab this opportunity against Afghanistan, otherwise, he might not get any more chances later in the tournament, barring any more illness or injuries to other batters. If Shubman Gill recovers in time for the Pakistan game, which will be played in Ahmedabad, where he has been brilliant, Gill will straightaway replace Kishan, even if the left-hander does well against Afghanistan.
R Ashwin
R Ashwin bowled well against Australia at his home ground in Chennai, returning with figures of 10-1-34. Ashwin, however, is likely to be dropped for the Afghanistan game and then the Pakistan game, because Delhi is now a good batting pitch – as we saw in the South Africa vs Sri Lanka match – and Ahmedabad is also a batting-friendly venue.
Ashwin was picked in the squad keeping in mind the spin-friendly surfaces in Chennai and Lucknow. India are now likely to bring back Shardul Thakur as the third seamer and number 8 position batter in the XI. replacing Ashwin.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer bagged a duck against Australia, chipping a length ball from Hazlewood straight to cover. Iyer is not to be dropped just yet, but if he fails against Afghanistan too, it might force the management to ponder of bringing in Suryakumar Yadav in the side for the Pakistan game.
It is not to forget that Suryakumar Yadav has brilliant numbers in Ahmedabad: at the Narendra Modi Stadium, SKY has scored 104 runs in 2 ODI innings; he cracked his maiden T20I fifty on his T20I debut here, scoring 57 off 31 balls; and in 2 IPL knocks in Ahmedabad, Suryakumar scored 84 runs in 50 balls.
