Irfan Pathan evaluated whether Team India needed to alter their starting lineup, saying, “They don’t have to do anything else.”
India must simply continue doing what they are doing right now, particularly their performance throughout the league stages. When they bowl, they are using the new ball well, and they are also attempting to target certain bowlers, particularly the front row where Rohit Sharma is dominating. If Shubman Gill can regain his reliable form, this side will be impossible to defeat.
With nine victories in nine games, India dominated the league stage and advanced as the top seed into the semi-finals. The task before India in the semi-finals is to overcome New Zealand, a team that has left the Indians with unsatisfactory memories of their past ICC knockout matches. Cricketing icons Matthew Hayden, Shane Watson, and Irfan Pathan gave an exclusive interview to the Star Sports program “Match Point” in advance of their highly anticipated semi-final match. In addition to analyzing if Team India has to make any adjustments, the cricket gurus offered their opinions on whether the Indian squad can overcome the semi-final curse and win the World Cup.
When asked if there was a vulnerability in the Indian team, Watson responded, “India just needs to keep playing the cricket they have; nothing is different whether it’s a knockout game or whether it’s a big game in the World Cup.”
With the all-around package that India has as a team, I don’t see any weaknesses in their defense if they keep playing as well as they are, with every player making contributions like they are and playing with that fearless approach, whether it be with the ball, the bat, or the field. The team that defeats India in the semi-final or final will need to play through their nerves due to the quality of their players and the form they are in.
When asked whether this Indian squad could overcome the curse of the semifinals and win the World Cup, Hayden responded, “Well, look, India is the in-form side.” Similar to the Australian squad in 2003 and 2007, they have had a successful run. India clearly has everything covered in terms of their batting and bowling prowess, and their fielding has been exceptional. The semi-finals and finals are, of course, a two-horse race over a four-horse race. In addition to their exceptional bowling, they have shown remarkable efficiency in all three of those categories. Nothing prevents them from breaking the jinx.
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