Team India Unwilling to Take Chances Against England, Virat Kohli Eyeing 49th ODI Ton
Grass Trimmed Ahead of Lucknow Match, Ashwin Favored, Shami All But Guaranteed
From a distance, it made for a captivating sight.
The ground crew could be seen getting ready to cover the wicket as dusk was almost upon them as the Indian team bus wound its way through the dust-filled final kilometer to reach the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
With Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin following closely behind, Rahul Dravid dashed to get one last close look without even batting an eyelid. Ashwin nearly fell to the ground on the pitch in an attempt to feel the surface while the curator and head coach spoke. It might have also hinted at India's Sunday plan against England.
Even though Team India is almost guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals, they are unwilling to take any chances against a team that is about to lose. It was also evident in KL Rahul's remarks.
We wish to treat any resistance seriously. Any team can be dangerous at any given time... No team is favored from the outset... Thus, it's critical that we continue to emphasize our advantages, Rahul stated.
It appears that the World Cup has at last acquired the necessary adrenaline to remain relevant. The scramble for the final four spots is becoming more fierce as the race gets closer to its conclusion.
Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand played a close match that went down to the final ball, one day after South Africa showed that they meant business in this edition.
In addition, there is growing excitement about another century from Virat Kohli. He will match Sachin Tendulkar's 49-ton ODI total with another hundred. Just five runs separated Kohli from the milestone in Dharamsala after his century against Bangladesh in Pune at number 48.
Will he get it here, or on Tendulkar's home ground at the Wankhede on Thursday when they play Sri Lanka? Or will the achievement against South Africa on November 5 take place at Eden? We'll find out in time.
The grass on the Lucknow wicket has been trimmed ahead of Sunday's match, but this will not affect bounce or carry.
Given the dry conditions and England's susceptibility to spin, Ashwin will be favored. Mohammed Siraj might have to miss out because of this. Mohammed Shami has all but guaranteed his spot after taking five wickets against New Zealand, but Rohit still has the last say.
If Rohit wins the toss, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bat first as it would set them up nicely for the knockout stages. India have won all of their matches chasing targets.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
