Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson have emphasized the importance of warm-up matches as the ODI World Cup, which starts on October 5 in India, approaches.
In order to gain momentum and help the players understand their roles better, Shane Watson believed teams should try to field an XI in the warm-up games that is as similar to the one they will use in the actual competition.
These warm-up competitions are essential. For India’s match against Australia, you want to be able to play as nearly your starting 11 as possible. Because of the momentum you can create and the fact that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and how to carry them out. As the Star Cast expert for “Mission World Cup,” Watson spoke exclusively to Star Sports. “And then to play those two warm-up games, just for everyone to be able to find their feet and know precisely what those duties are.
Watson also emphasized the No. 5 spot in one-day international cricket, which is still up for debate for India due to a slew of injuries and player availability difficulties. However, both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are now healthy and available, with Iyer prepared to fill the No. 4 position and Rahul and his back-up southpaw Ishan Kishan vying for the No. 5 spot.
“The number 5 berth is crucial for any squad, especially since it’s one of the major unanswered questions for India, along with the number 8 spot. Therefore, it’s crucial to develop that self-assurance and momentum even in practice games for those two positions in particular, added Watson.
“People don’t grasp the significance of those exhibition games. I remember how crucial it was in 2007, when our confidence in the Australian team was a little low before the first game, but after the first exhibition game we played against England, we really began to increase our confidence for that year’s world cup campaign. You cannot therefore take those games lightly. They are crucial simply to unite everyone and launch that momentum, the speaker continued.
Gambhir, a panelist with Shane Watson, discussed the significance of India’s World Cup warm-up games.
What combination India will play and whatever combination India needs to play, I think the most important thing is that they play the same team that they are supposed to play on the eighth against Australia, said Gambhir. “Massive, especially from, and I keep repeating, from number 5 and number 8’s point of view,” he added.
From September 29 to October 3, the warm-up matches will take place in three Indian cities: Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad. On September 30, England will visit Guwahati, while on October 3, the Netherlands will visit Thiruvananthapuram.
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