Rohit Sharma-led India will take on arch-rivals Australia in their third Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup. The clash has taken on added significance following Australia’s defeat to Afghanistan in their last match, meaning that a loss to India on Monday will most likely see the Kangaroos go out of the competition.
India, on the other hand, are likely to secure a place in the semi-finals even if they lose on Monday. But given how Australia have troubled them in ICC finals over the past year, the Men in Blue will be desperate to end the Kangaroos’ run at the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium.
How are the two teams stacked?
India, who will be looking for their third Super 8 win today, don’t have much to worry about in terms of their team combination. Openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who had looked out of sorts, showed signs of regaining their form against Bangladesh.
Middle-order batsman Shivam Dubey also got some much-needed runs in the last match, while the batting of Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya has been India’s main strength in the tournament so far.
However, the form of Ravindra Jadeja with both bat and ball will be a cause for concern for the team management. Jadeja has struggled to get going with the bat so far, while he hasn’t had many opportunities to bowl in the tournament.
It will be important for Australia to put the Afghanistan defeat behind them as soon as possible if they are to play their best cricket against India. Their recent record against India in ICC matches may also provide some motivation for the beleaguered Kangaroos.
Given the pace-friendly conditions in St Lucia, Australia may field a pacer in preference to Ashton Agar. This could put extra responsibility on the shoulders of Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa to keep the Indian batsmen quiet in the middle overs.
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Published: 24 Jun 2024, 09:23 AM IST