In another imperious display of dominion, Team India blew away South Africa to cement their position at the top of the points table by a staggering difference. Eden Gardens turned into a boiling cauldron of a heaving swirling mass of fans who exploded into a frenzied eruption as there were more than one reason for them to emote their ecstasy.
This is their eighth win on the trot and now with one game left in the group stages where they will be up against minnows Netherlands that have so far put an impressive display in the tournament despite being eliminated already, the forgone conclusion for that match is that India will win all their group league fixtures.
Now the most obvious question that has been doing the rounds is whether this is the best Indian cricket team in the history of World Cup ever? Well, the answer maybe yes. This is a side that is better than the ones who slew the giant in 1983, the ones that lifted the cup in 2011 and definitely the other star-studded sides in the history of the tournament.
Why are we calling this side the best in business? The answer being, this team brings a fresh bout of air where experience, youth and stardom comes together in the same breath. People have also questioned the credibility of the team citing that there may be some foul play at work. In fact, such has been the magnitude of skepticism that the detractors have even tarnished BCCI and ICC with reputations of tinkering with the ball.
But the reality is something entirely different. If we take a closer look at the Indian cricket team, we will know that they are a side that has always been star-studded. Unfortunately, the team never really clicked together. What is happening in the World Cup is that everyone in the side knows their purpose and they have come together for a greater cause.
More importantly, everyone is in form and they are complementing each other. Even before the tournament started, we all knew Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer are tremendous batters. There was never a question about Ravindra Jadeja being thrown out of the mix either. As a back-up we had the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin as well which made it perfect sense.
Unfortunately for Hardik Pandya, the man started the tournament on a grand note but had to leave midway after the injury. However, that somewhat proved to be the grit in the oyster that India needed. Coming as a blessing in disguise they unleased Mohammed Shami upon the world and what followed thereafter was sheer carnage.
Jasprit Bumrah has been a different specie of a beast altogether ever since his return and there has been no stopping him. Kuldeep Yadav has also chipped in with his fair share in the game whenever he has got the chance. For everyone who believes that something is fishy here, I think it’s the belief in themselves that Team India has and they will not stop unless the job has been done.
