You're scared! Know this. You're terrified. Fearful that the ten-year wait for an ICC title may burst into flames once more. Fearing that Team India's dreadful record from the previous two World Cups may come back to haunt them when they play New Zealand in the quarterfinal tomorrow. tense that, despite being so near, the World Cup championship may escape their grasp. It's unlikely that India would defeat their archrivals in a subsequent ICC quarterfinal match! We understand that you're worried. Everywhere you look—in social settings, X, and WhatsApp groups, the story is the same. Memers are putting in a lot of overtime on Instagram, while influencers are restricting their creativity. India facing their principal tormentor. Make or break it. We comprehend!
However, what if we advise you not to? Don't be alarmed by the thought of an Indian loss, the persistent chance of a batting collapse, the uncertainty around the law of averages, or the persistent question of whether the explosive bowling attack may have a bad day. What if we told you that you really had nothing to be concerned about? Under the weight of history, it's normal to feel a little uneasy or butterflies in the stomach, but there's really no reason to freak out. We can handle this. Better still, Rohit Sharma is more than capable of handling this.
the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final. World Test Championship final in 2021. Final of the 2019 World Cup. The typical Indian cricket fan finds it difficult to accept these recollections. Virat Kohli and Co.'s rampaging streak came to an end, as did MS Dhoni's Indian career, but Chris Cairns' counterattacking century eclipsed Sourav Ganguly's century, and Kyle Jamieson destroyed the star-studded Indian batting lineup. Indeed, it's a heavy burden to carry.
That being said, things have changed. Neither will this Indian squad be batting on the seaming and swinging conditions of a Day 1 pitch in Southampton, nor is it reliant on a single demi-god. The days of changing the starting lineup are long gone. A well-oiled, well-rounded machine that appears complete from every viewpoint has been constructed by Rohit and Rahul Dravid.
Trivia facts emerge among the outside influences and background noise, such as the fact that no team has ever won the World Cup after winning the league stage. Or how, in 2015, India advanced to the semifinals without losing and ended up losing to Australia. But wait! Take a different tack and see the glass half-full rather than allowing these facts get to you. Think back to times like 2011, when India won the World Cup in their own stadium; or how Rohit Sharma's side hasn't been put to the test since Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc's initial burst in the opening match against Australia.
Examine the victory margins. or the reality that throughout this World Cup, India has bowled every opponent. When batting first, they have amassed 350s and 400s and have easily chased down a variety of totals. This is a squad that can afford to let the tournament's top run scorer, Virat Kohli, finish his century because Rohit is so masterfully mimicking the 2015 Brendon McCullum model.
Consider this if your dread hasn't already diminished. For the past five games, vice captain Hardik Pandya has not played for India. Has it changed in any way? It seemed as if he had never left. Mohammed Shami, the bowler for India who was benched for the first four matches, has 16 wickets from the following five, including two five-wicket hauls. Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, two of their most promising young players, have not yet reached their maximum potential. And Jasprit Bumrah, India's top pacer and maybe the greatest in the world right now, has garnered more attention for his constant pressure tactics than for taking wickets.
India has never had an easy time defeating New Zealand in the past. The BlackCaps had advanced to the semifinals of the previous two T20 World Cups and the final of the previous two ODI World Cups, but India has defeated them three times this year for a clean sweep, most recently last month in Dharamsala, breaking the dreadful ICC curse. Speaking about hoodoo, Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, the site of the semifinal, is another detail that has supporters shivering. Chasing under the lights has proven to be an extremely difficult task.
What are the possibilities of a top-order collapse by Trent Boult and Matt Henry with the ball flying around? It doesn't matter, Franky. India has a middle order that can withstand pressure, unlike 2019. All Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul need to do is see out the first 20 overs, even if the openers fail. Even if New Zealand bats first, Rohit has now won four tosses, and with India's formidable bowling arsenal, the match will definitely be on.
Rohit praised head coach Dravid during today's press conference for his unwavering support of Indian players who had been sidelined due to lengthy injury absences for the World Cup but were now back on the team. Premier League players KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer made their One Day International (ODI) comebacks in the lead-up to the ICC tournament, before going on to form the backbone of India's middle order in the World Cup. While Dravid and co. recruited the adaptable Rahul to bat as a wicketkeeper-batter for the World Cup, India added Iyer to lead the middle-order. In their World Cup final round-robin encounter on Sunday, India defeated the Netherlands thanks to a record-breaking stand of 208 runs between Iyer and Rahul.
Gaining nine consecutive victories with nearly the same starting lineup is a testament to invincibility as well as talent. You question, what about that one awful game that hasn't progressed thus far? Throw it out. Australia achieved this feat in 2003 and 2007, and this Indian squad is the most similar to Ricky Ponting's Unstoppables squad by a wide margin.
Embrace the excitement and have faith in Team India!
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