India were lucky to get away against Australia thanks to the rain, although in cricket anything can happen. But if Australia would have got to 290 or 300 it would have been a very tough ask for India especially with the fast bowling attack Australia had. It was a typical Centurion wicket yesterday and the way Ashish Nehra extracted bounce with the new ball, the likes of Lee , Johnson & Siddle would have really made life difficult for the Indian batsmen especially when India were playing just five genuine batsmen.
The washout has made India’s life even more difficult because now not only will they have to beat West Indies but they will have to wait for Pakistan to beat Australia today. India has looked a very different one-day side in the major championship tournaments than in bilateral or triangular series. I am sure it’s a worry for Dhoni & the national selectors because for such big tournaments you need players who would win games for you and India hasn’t found even one in these games. I had mentioned before the start of the series that Yuvraj’s presence in the middle overs will be hugely missed and it’s shown in the game against Pakistan where India lost their way in the middle overs.
India will play a much depleted West Indies team tomorrow where a lot of the players in the West Indies camp have backed out of the Champions Trophy because of the feud with their Board and everyone will expect India to roll the West Indies over. It will be a pressure game for India and nothing-to-lose situation for the West Indies. Whenever a side gets into that mode, they can be dangerous but I don’t think that this side has the fire power to match the Indians especially when we have seen that a month ago they were beaten fair & square by a Bangladesh team in their backyard.
Indian bowling has looked very ordinary except for Ashish Nehra. I am very happy for Ashish that he has come back and done so well and it’s a prime example for players and selectors of not counting anyone out at any stage of their career. Ashish always had the talent but his body was not holding up to the pressures of international cricket but he will always be an asset in the shorter format of the game. Hopefully this will also put behind the unnecessary debate created two years ago of seniors & juniors and will be an eye-opener as cricket is all about skills and performances. I am also happy to see Amit Mishra in the side, a genuine leg spinner, who will be handy in any format of the game and hopefully he will play a lot more One-day cricket for India in the future.
I will be looking keenly at the Wanderers pitch before the game. If it’s a good flat wicket, India will massacre the West Indies but if the wicket does a bit as it did against Pakistan, then it will be a much closer game.
PMG