Ricky Ponting
Former Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting has expressed his belief that Team India is poised to be a formidable force in the ICC World Cup 2023, highlighting their ability to perform exceptionally well under intense pressure. India has made an impressive start to their World Cup campaign, securing convincing victories against Australia, Afghanistan, and their arch-rival, Pakistan. With title victories in 1983 and 2011, the Men in Blue are eyeing their third Cricket World Cup crown.
Ponting’s assessment of India’s strength is clear as he stated, “I said from the start that I think they’re going to be the team to beat. They’ve got a very talented team. They’ve got all bases covered with their fast bowling, their spin, and their top-order, middle-order batting.”
He went on to emphasize the challenge that other teams will face in trying to defeat India, noting, “They’re going to be extremely hard to beat. But we’ll see how they hold up under extreme pressure as well.”
In their highly-anticipated match against arch-rivals Pakistan, India secured a resounding seven-wicket victory, with a comfortable 117 balls to spare in Ahmedabad. Pakistan struggled, losing eight wickets for just 36 runs after being at 155/2, eventually reaching a total of 191. Rohit Sharma’s brilliant 86-run innings played a pivotal role in India’s triumph.
India’s bowlers also played a crucial part, with five of them taking two wickets each. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav delivered excellent spells, while Mohammed Siraj secured the crucial wicket of Babar Azam, leading to Pakistan’s collapse.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, acknowledged the importance of maintaining balance and not getting overly excited, considering the lengthy duration of the World Cup campaign. He highlighted that the team’s focus is on the opposition they face on a particular day and stressed the need to perform at their best regardless of past results or future challenges.
After registering three back-to-back victories in their World Cup campaign, the Men in Blue will face Bangladesh on Thursday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
