ADELAIDE : Defending champions India will go head to head with arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the 2015 ODI World Cup in Adelaide on Sunday. “Coming at an early stage in the tournament, this high-profile clash will expectedly set the tone for the rest of the campaign for the winning side. The Men in Blue will start as favourites in this explosive encounter as they enjoy a historic advantage over their sub-continental neighbours. The two teams have met five teams in the ODI World Cups — 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2011 — and India have won all of those matches. To say that they will be looking for win number six at the Adelaide Oval will not be wrong.
It will be easier said than done though. India have endured a torrid time in Australia on their lengthy tour so far, losing both the Tests and the ODI series. In fact they failed to win a single match until their second and final warm-up game against Afghanistan. It reflects poorly on their chances ahead of the World Cup, particularly when it is considered that they have only won three out of 17 ODIs played outside the subcontinent since December 2013. All three of those wins had come in England and thus losing twice in the recently concluded tri-series to them would have been a hurting reversal for this team. As such, it will be important for India to pick themselves up for a high-voltage clash, for a win can potentially do wonders for their confidence. They will need to approach this game in singularity to be able to do so, however. Perhaps their toughest call will be to select the first-choice eleven. Indian skipper MS Dhoni has declared his entire squad fit for selection, but doubts remain over the availability of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Is he properly match-fit after sitting out for much of the last two and a half months? Can he be risked in such an important game? How will his selection affect the balance of the bowling attack, for Mohit Sharma might not be picked as they are near-similar bowlers?
The conditions and the pitch at the Adelaide Oval will hold the key to these questions. The day is expected to be hot and dry, while the pitch is expected to play hard, true for batting. It could hamper India’s plans of playing Stuart Binny as their fifth bowler, a trick they deployed often during the tri-series. While Dhoni remains uncomfortable with the idea of only six full-time batsmen, he will then have no option but to leave out Axar Patel as Ravindra Jadeja is now fully fit and can lengthen the batting order. (AGENCIES)
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