IND vs AUS, World Cup 2023 closing: Remaining calm below stress can be key for India, says Raina

The final time India gained an ODI World Cup title 12 years in the past, Suresh Raina was one of many distinguished members of the aspect. Throughout that event, India dealt with stress properly and made positive there have been no slip-ups.

As the Men in Blue sq. off towards Australia in yet one more World Cup closing on the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, Raina believes that it will likely be an aggressive battle between Indian captain Rohit Sharma and the Australian crew.

“Our team looks very strong, under Rohit’s leadership. It has all bases covered, but then, Australia is an aggressive team. So, it will eventually come down to a battle between an aggressive team and an aggressive captain,” Raina informed  Sportstar.

Having seen Rohit evolve as a cricketer, Raina believes that it is very important hold calm forward of the marquee fixture and minimize out the noise. “Rohit loves playing against Australia and even has a double century against them. Rohit recently told the media that whatever the situation, the team has to be calm, and that’s certainly the key. If you remain calm in high-pressure matches, results will follow,” Raina mentioned.

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“Only if you are calm, you can make the right decisions. India has the edge because Australia is already worried about our bowling attack with (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Shami, and Kuldeep (Yadav) around. These three bowlers are going to trouble the Aussie batters…”

However, with Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa round, Australia, too, can be hoping to proceed its dream run. “I saw pictures of the Ahmedabad surface where they were using heavy rollers. If you are doing heavy rolling, then it will be a wicket similar to the one where we had the India vs Pakistan game. It will be a tad slow, and whichever team wins, they will hope to put runs on the board and put pressure on the opponent,” Raina mentioned.

And, in such a situation, the previous India worldwide expects the crew to bat first, placing up a complete of round 350 after which unleashing its bowlers. However, in big-ticket occasions, issues might typically fall off the plan, and that’s the place, Raina believes, the center order must step up.

Indian cricketers (L/R): Gautam Gambhir, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla have fun with the trophy after victory within the Cricket World Cup 2011 closing over Sri Lanka at The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

“Virat and Rohit are always doing well. But my main guys will be Suryakumar (Yadav) and Shreyas Iyer. They both play aggressively. Our top two – Shubman Gill and Rohit – are doing well anyway, but in the final, it needs to be seen how the middle-order – especially Shreyas and Surya – handle pressure in case a few wickets fall early on,” Raina mentioned.

“In big matches, we need to factor in everything. It depends on how their body and mind align. Even Gill will be crucial for a steady start. He knows the conditions well since he plays for Gujarat Titans and has done really well…”

Though there are debates on whether or not India ought to deliver within the seasoned Ravichandran Ashwin for the ultimate, Raina feels in any other case. “I don’t think they will change the winning combination against Australia. You can’t take any chances against such a team with just two fast bowlers in the ranks,” he mentioned.

“Had Hardik (Pandya) been around, it would have been a different thing. But I think India will go with the same team, and I doubt that they will bring in Ashwin, by replacing Siraj. Siraj has done well, except for the semifinal against New Zealand – that, too, in the last few overs.

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“Siraj’s ability to swing and seam will help India in these conditions. One should keep in mind how he bowled Babar Azam beautifully at the same ground last month. So, he will come in handy,” Raina mentioned.

Back in 2011, India suffered a loss towards South Africa in a gaggle league recreation, whereas the sport towards England was a tie. However, the crew bounced again and went on to clinch the title. It has been a distinct story this time round with the crew profitable all its 10 video games – together with the semifinal, and Raina believes there gained’t be any stress on the gamers, main as much as the massive recreation.

“The team has done well – winning all its 10 games, there hasn’t been any ups and downs. When the final starts, they will get used to it…” he mentioned. 

The nation would hope so, too.