India is just a couple of wins away from becoming the world champions of Cricket and NewZealand in the semi-finals is the first hurdle they need to overcome. Judging by skills, performance, form, and man to man comparison, India looks the better team but funny things happen in this sport. India would be complacent at their own peril.
India has not sorted out all their issues going into the match. Their soft underbelly has been exposed a few times and top order getting big runs most times has helped them sail smoothly so far. What’s the best eleven for team India under these circumstances? Let’s check this out.
Top 6 Picks Itself
India is not going to tinker a lot with their top 6. The number 4 spot is probably the only debated slot, but Rishabh Pant is almost certain to maintain his place. The fact that he is a left-hander and has the flamboyance that can win a match on his own, cannot be overlooked. India would hope for Pant to fire and bring those quickfire innings which would turn the match in India’s favour. Here are the top 6 players. Looks settled.
1 Rohit Sarma
2 K L Rahul
3 Virat Kohli
4 Rishabh Pant
5 MS Dhoni
6 Hardik Pandya
Number 7
Well, this is going to be interesting. One among Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav or Ravindra Jadeja has to play for India. If its Karthik or Jadhav, they could be slotted at 6 and Pandya might come down one spot. Depending on the situation, Hardik will float in that batting order. So who could be it from this 3(Jadhav, Karthik, and Jadeja)?
We strongly feel that Jadeja is going to grab that spot. With his all-round abilities and big hitting skills along with electric fielding, India would want him at 7. Dinesh Karthik would feel sad having not received a lot of opportunities and Jadhav hasn’t quite grabbed the opportunities with both hands.
Number 8
India’s lower middle order is an area of concern and Bhuvaneswar Kumar‘s batting skills will come in handy at this spot. Although the swing bowler went for a few runs in the last match, he has the resilience to bounce back. We pick Bhuvi at 8.
Number 9, 10 and 11
Mohammad Shami, although did not play the last match against Srilanka, is not expected to sit out. He has been the wicket-taker for India in all the matches he played. He has gone for runs in the last overs and Kohli might use him more at the upfront and expect Bumrah and Bhuvi to fire in those yorkers at the death.
With one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja, India will have to choose between Kuldeep and Chahal. Although Kuldeep’s chinaman is tempting, if Kohli is making the call, it’s going to be Chahal. He is known for bowling at all stages, has been exceptional in the flat beds of Chinnaswamy and has the faith of the captain. Chahal is certain to play.
Number 11
Well, no prizes for guessing this. When you have the world’s best bowler in your team, who else would you go to? Jasprit Bumrah has been exceptional with the new ball as well as at the back end. His ability to bowl back to back yorkers with pinpoint accuracy is going to be a key deciding factor.
Its just hours to go before the match and we hope the players are going to play to their potential. If the ball starts swinging and Trent Boult gets a ball, it could be trouble for the Indian team. Fingers crossed!
Here is the Eleven: Rohit Sarma , K L Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant , MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvaneswar Kumar, Mohammad Shami,Y Chahal,J Bumrah.
Post Your Comments