Rohit Sharma will lead India against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. It is the same venue where India played a warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 5. India would look to play with full strength. Many experts want Kohli, who has an average of 81.5 in T20 World Cups, to open with Rohit. Virat converted 14 of his 25 T20 WC innings into 50-plus scores.
Watch the exclusive pre-match discussions and predictions with our experts only on Oneindia News.
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Watch the exclusive pre-match discussions and predictions with our experts only on Oneindia News.
#T20WorldCup #IndiaVsIreland #Cricket #INDvIRE #TeamIndia #IrelandCricket #CricketPrediction #WorldCupT20 #CricketMatch #UnbeatenIndia #MatchPreview #T20Cricket #CricketFans #SportsNews #MatchPrediction
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:04 Hello, and welcome to One India.
00:05 We are bringing you a new show, Pitch Battle.
00:09 One India's Pitch Battle is making its debut today,
00:11 and we have some very special guests joining us
00:14 from across the globe, if I can say.
00:18 We are being joined by senior journalist and a good friend
00:21 and a mentor, Nindanil Basu.
00:24 Then we have Shaukya Mitra, who's
00:26 a sports marketing expert.
00:28 And then we have Mr. Ashish Balucha, cricket academy.
00:32 He's the owner, and he's the one who's
00:35 sitting in England, not very far away from US,
00:39 where the action, the T20 World Cup action is unfolding.
00:43 And today is a very special and important day
00:46 for Indian cricket fans, because Team India,
00:49 after arriving in New York, having played some practice
00:53 games on the pitches, the warm-up match was kind of a--
00:57 if I can say so, it was a little bit of a hiccup
01:02 for the Indian team, because they didn't get a ceiling
01:05 victory against Bangladesh.
01:06 But they did get a victory, and it was a convincing one.
01:10 Courtesy to the bowlers.
01:12 So today, they are playing Ireland.
01:15 And yes, Ireland-India, there's not much of a match,
01:19 because all the seven matches that
01:21 are being played between these two teams, which
01:24 have completed--
01:25 India have convincingly beaten Ireland.
01:28 But it's a T20 World Cup.
01:29 It's an important tournament.
01:33 And also, the conditions, which are alien to both the teams,
01:36 make the contest quite interesting.
01:39 So because Mr. Balucha sits in England,
01:43 and the conditions in England, especially for cricket,
01:47 are very different to what we see in the subcontinent.
01:51 Let's start with you, Mr. Balucha.
01:53 What do you think of this match?
01:55 Because Ireland-England are just neighbours.
01:57 Indeed.
02:01 And actually, where I'm sitting right now,
02:03 it feels more Irish than English.
02:06 The only difference is, we've got a bit of blue sky today,
02:09 where in Ireland, you even miss that.
02:10 It's an interesting one.
02:15 So I wouldn't really say that it is
02:17 going to be a one-sided affair.
02:20 As you rightly said, it's an even condition
02:24 for both the teams.
02:25 The pitch has been brought over from Adelaide.
02:28 So it would work a bit differently.
02:32 The sand, I would call, or the soil for the ground
02:35 has been brought in from Florida.
02:37 So it doesn't have much of a New York affair,
02:41 rather than having the police force from the US,
02:44 of New York, actually policing it at the NYPD.
02:49 And we'll talk a little bit more about Ireland as well.
02:52 I know there will be a lot of discussion about India.
02:54 But Ireland is a team which has been emerging.
02:58 Let's not forget, they recently beat Pakistan as well
03:01 in the T20 warm-up game.
03:04 Warm-up means an international T20 that was played in Ireland.
03:08 So they do have a chance.
03:10 And a couple of players out there are really notable.
03:13 That we need to look out for.
03:16 Shakir, let me come to you.
03:17 Being a sports marketing expert, how much of, do you think,
03:23 the sporting market is riding upon this match?
03:28 I think the actual action might start on June the 9th,
03:32 when India and Pakistan, the two biggest
03:34 rivals in the cricket history.
03:37 Yes, some might debate that Australia-England rivalry
03:40 is the greatest.
03:41 But if you go back to the numbers,
03:44 the amount of crowd it pulls, the entire sporting spectrum,
03:47 if you talk about when it comes to the ad part of it,
03:51 it's always the highly marketed match,
03:54 most lucrative match of any tournament
03:56 when these two teams play.
03:58 But let's talk about the India-Ireland match.
04:02 What are your thoughts on this match?
04:05 So last year, the Major League Cricket
04:08 happened for the first time in America.
04:10 And it was a big success.
04:12 Even this year, if you look at the Major League Cricket,
04:14 some of the biggest names are signing up for the tournament.
04:17 So obviously, it's something which
04:20 America is investing on sport.
04:22 And with the 2028 Olympics has now included cricket in it.
04:27 So there is a big push that is being given to cricket
04:30 in the United States.
04:33 As for this particular match, I don't--
04:37 of course, the India-India-Pakistan game
04:40 on Sunday is going to be the big money spinner.
04:42 And I don't think any match comes close to it.
04:45 In fact, wherever India plays globally,
04:48 it will always attract more crowds than any other game.
04:51 I mean, I remember the last World Cup in India,
04:54 Zimbabwe match was one of the most crowded games
04:59 in the whole tournament.
05:00 And you won't consider Zimbabwe to be one of the best sites.
05:04 But Ireland, they are a side which cannot be taken lightly.
05:09 They are not-- you could probably still call them minnows.
05:15 They have not gone above that category.
05:18 But they are a solid site.
05:20 They've qualified for many tournaments before--
05:22 for many World Cups, T20 and ODI World Cups before this.
05:26 And they are not a site that can be taken lightly.
05:30 They do get to play games.
05:32 They've beaten some big teams in the past.
05:35 And even India, they played India in the 2015 World Cup.
05:39 And they gave India not an easy match there as well.
05:43 But I think today's match, it won't be an easy match.
05:49 But I think it will be best for India to not take them lightly.
05:53 But I would still say that India should--
05:57 India will be surprised if India doesn't win this
06:01 by convincingly.
06:03 I mean, the bowlers, Indian bowlers,
06:06 maybe a bit too much for Ireland here.
06:10 I could hear a lot of chirping from birds.
06:13 Yes.
06:13 The English birds.
06:14 And it's kind of a soothing sound to the ears nowadays.
06:20 Because here in Delhi, NCR, we hardly
06:23 listen to the birds chirping a lot,
06:25 especially in the harsh weather conditions, the summer weather
06:30 conditions.
06:31 So Dada, let's start about--
06:32 talk about this Indian side first.
06:36 How balanced do you think this side is?
06:38 Or is this a champion side that can actually
06:43 win the World Cup?
06:45 The trot that we have been seeing for the last decade,
06:49 more than a decade now.
06:52 Avinash, you remember when the team was picked for the World
06:55 Cup, T20 World Cup, all the players were struggling.
06:58 The guys were picked from Chahal to Rohit.
07:00 But if you look at the playing 11, with Virat Kohli,
07:03 we are getting the news that Virat Kohli could
07:05 be opening the innings.
07:06 And would be, not could be.
07:07 Would be opening the innings with Rohit Sharma.
07:09 I think that will give an ample opportunity for India
07:12 to get a lot of all-rounders like Shivam Dubey,
07:15 like Akshar Patel, both in the team, which is an amazing thing.
07:19 And the left-hand, right-hand combination
07:21 working in the middle overs.
07:23 And Virat playing phenomenal cricket
07:27 in what we saw in the IPL 2024, where he scored over 700 runs.
07:31 He was absolutely fantastic.
07:34 So, Virat and then Rohit Sharma, and then we
07:38 might see Rishabh Pant or Suryakumar Yadav.
07:41 I've actually made a team sitting at home,
07:43 if I can share with the panelists also.
07:45 Definitely.
07:46 I have got Kohli, Rohit, Surya, Rishabh, Hardik, Dubey, Jadeja,
07:52 Akshar, Kuldeep, Mumra, and Mohammad Shira.
07:58 That's my 11.
08:01 OK, interesting one.
08:03 Gentlemen, your thoughts.
08:05 Let's start with Shakya.
08:09 Let's speak about the playing 11 and your thoughts.
08:15 Does it make a good side or what do
08:19 you think is a balanced playing 11 for this match
08:21 against the Minnows Ireland?
08:24 Actually, I'm not--
08:29 I slightly disagree with Indranil about the one spot.
08:35 I think I would have Arshdeep ahead of Siraj.
08:40 But on the whole, I think that's good.
08:42 I don't think--
08:42 I think there'll be about two.
08:44 We will play two spinners.
08:45 He's shifting to Chandigarh, I think.
08:47 He's shifting to Chandigarh.
08:49 That's what he's saying.
08:50 No, no, no.
08:52 No, no, I just think Arshdeep has probably
08:54 got better T20 skills.
08:56 But yes, I think that's probably what I think
08:59 will happen throughout the tournament.
09:00 We will probably play two slow--
09:02 we will play two front-line pacers and two spinners.
09:08 And yeah, I think Aksar is there for the moment.
09:11 But then at some point, we'll also
09:12 be looking at Yuzvendra Chahal as well.
09:15 But yeah, I was a bit surprised when the team was selected
09:19 that Rinku Singh was left out.
09:21 But I understand there's certain reasons for that as well.
09:25 And Shivam Dubey's bowling skills and the fact
09:29 that he was doing quite well.
09:31 For a couple of seasons in the IPL, he's done quite well.
09:34 I mean, very, very harsh on Rinku Singh.
09:37 But I just hope that the faith is justified,
09:41 the faith on him has been justified.
09:42 And we were hearing about slower pitches in USA.
09:47 So Yashaswi Jaiswal, they were all talking about him there.
09:55 But I guess there's a reason now why he has fallen off the order
09:58 and they've moved on to--
10:00 they're probably going to go with Rohit and Virat to open.
10:04 But yeah, I mean, looks fair enough.
10:08 I think this is probably the--
10:10 we will be looking at different T20 players
10:13 after this World Cup finishes.
10:14 But for the moment, let's back this team, yeah.
10:20 OK.
10:21 Ashish, coming to you, Rohit and Hardik Pandya,
10:27 whatever we saw during the IPL, whatever transpired,
10:30 we've heard rumors of conflict or difference of opinion
10:34 between Rohit and Hardik as well.
10:37 There were reports that Rohit initially
10:40 didn't want Hardik in his T20 World Cup side.
10:44 And as a deputy, he wanted someone else.
10:48 So when a big tournament like this happens,
10:52 and two players whose egos are going to clash together,
10:58 will it impact the overall camaraderie of the team,
11:02 the atmosphere, the bonding of the players in the dressing
11:08 room?
11:08 We've heard stories and rifts, rumors of rift,
11:11 and two factions or three factions
11:13 maybe within the Indian team in the past as well.
11:16 Not very far in the past.
11:21 Yeah, you've picked up a right spot right there.
11:23 So if this was a year ago, we would
11:25 have been talking about Virat versus Rohit.
11:28 Now we are saying they were both opening together
11:30 and they are best of the buddies.
11:32 And here comes another spinner called Pandya.
11:37 I don't think it's actually very fair from that angle.
11:41 Or maybe there's a bit of masala required.
11:44 Because it gets very bland after a period of time.
11:46 Cricket is never short of masalas.
11:47 Yeah.
11:49 Absolutely.
11:52 I just hope they don't have masalas in their food.
11:54 That's the only thing when they are playing.
11:56 I mean, listen, I think they are professionals at the end of the day.
12:01 So, yes, franchise cricket is there.
12:04 It's different.
12:05 There is a lot of money engaged.
12:06 I think over here, they are playing for the country
12:09 and they know their roles and responsibilities.
12:11 I don't think there is any clash from that angle.
12:13 Till the time the rules are actually defined,
12:16 and who is actually in charge.
12:17 I think Dravid is one of those guys who…
12:21 I personally feel I have got faith that he can actually manage the team quite well.
12:25 And the factions as well.
12:27 So, I don't think that will actually be an issue.
12:30 And in fact, Dravid has himself seen during his captaincy days,
12:35 there were factions, there were conflicts, rifts.
12:38 And one of the… I cannot say darkest,
12:42 but there were very turbulent times when he relinquished the captaincy of the Indian side.
12:48 He started with a bang.
12:50 The team was doing well under Greg Chappell and Dravid's partnership.
12:56 But gradually, things started falling apart, Dada.
12:59 And the 2007 ODI World Cup, which was held in the Caribbean.
13:05 And we have seen what happened there.
13:08 The entire team just castled like a pack of cards against the likes of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh.
13:17 So, the bitter memories of two World Cups, India making it…
13:23 playing in West Indies, if we can talk about the last 15 years,
13:27 the memories are not that good.
13:30 So, will that impact?
13:31 Let me just throw a question in between.
13:39 I am so sorry. I am interrupting.
13:41 I do need to challenge Dada here with his playing 11.
13:43 Your playing 11 seems to be a veteran 11 to me.
13:46 Because the average age is probably over 30 for the team.
13:49 True.
13:51 And a T20, you would want to have youngsters.
13:54 So, I am really surprised why we left out…
13:56 I think they are taking that from Chennai Super Kings book.
14:00 The Dads Army, what they called them back in 2018.
14:04 Yeah, I mean, Jaiswal is someone, I actually do feel that he should have been given a chance.
14:12 And I think rightly said by Shakya as well, that we should have probably even considered Ringkusing at one point.
14:18 Given the forms that they have actually been having.
14:21 One of the interesting challenges that the team will actually have,
14:26 and I am just kind of throwing out purely of my personal examples that I have actually seen while coming to India and seeing cricket being played in the same person that moves to England.
14:34 And for the first five games, they actually struggle because it's different, right?
14:39 The conditions are different.
14:40 So, where you can play your shots in a different way.
14:42 And the way IPL was all set up, it was a batter's paradise.
14:45 All of a sudden, we are talking spinners as going to be the game-changers here.
14:49 So, you know, the equilibrium has kind of shifted towards the bowlers now.
14:56 So, how the batters are going to adopt, I wouldn't take Ireland lightly at all in today's game.
15:02 Great. Also, they have a good fast-bowling attack.
15:07 Joshua Little, he has had some experience of playing in the IPL as well.
15:12 Didn't spend a lot of time this time around.
15:14 But whatever chances he has got, he has delivered.
15:18 And the plethora of experience, what the foreign players pick from IPL, they speak a volume about it.
15:29 And how it impacts their game, it helps them improve.
15:33 And perhaps, the pitches that are already on the slower side, they will have a word or two to communicate to the rest of the fellow Irish bowlers.
15:45 Dada?
15:47 No, I don't think I keep a great track of what Ireland is doing throughout the year.
15:54 But of course, we have a great track record against them.
15:57 Some of the players are good. Actually, quite good.
15:59 They are playing regular cricket. They go to counties, they go to other leagues.
16:05 They are playing throughout the year.
16:06 And in T20, such a format, you can't sort of differentiate.
16:10 Even a smaller team in Test cricket or a one-day cricket actually might come and give you a surprise.
16:17 And can surprise you anytime. So, that's the nature of the very format of T20.
16:24 So, you have to be careful. Whether you are playing a small team, big team.
16:26 All matches in the World Cup are big.
16:29 And West Indies, you talked about the memory of West Indies.
16:32 I think, we don't have a great memory.
16:34 Last time there was a T20 World Cup, I think around 2009 or 2010.
16:38 I exactly don't remember.
16:40 I think there was a huge fight that happened.
16:42 There was a huge fight that happened in a pub.
16:45 And the reason being that Jadeja went for runs and some NRIs came and started making fun of Jadeja.
16:53 And the players got into a scuffle.
16:55 That was quite ugly. That was 2007-2010.
17:00 So, we had bad memories there in the West Indies.
17:03 This time, hopefully, it's going to be different.
17:05 Because public sentiment is very strong as far as Rohit and Virat are concerned.
17:10 They are going to be open in the innings.
17:11 And if you see the overall bowling ability of the team, we actually have seven bowlers in the line-up.
17:18 It's amazing.
17:19 So, my hopes have all of a sudden just gone up.
17:24 As far as India is concerned.
17:26 This is what Indians are, right?
17:28 I mean, we talk about throughout the year, when the actual tournament is about to begin.
17:32 We support our team like anything.
17:35 We support them throughout.
17:37 And I am sure, in the Pakistan match, it's going to be a very difficult game for Pakistan.
17:42 The way things are shaping up.
17:44 The way we saw.
17:45 And Rishabh Pant, the biggest factor is my Rishabh Pant.
17:49 He's come back to his elements.
17:50 He's looking strong as ever.
17:52 I am really hopeful that Pant will make a lot of difference.
17:56 And that fearlessness we talk about.
17:58 And that is filled in the middle of the...
18:00 Thank God, Virat Kohli is not batting one down.
18:03 If he would have done that, he probably would have slowed down things in post-first power play.
18:09 But it's not happening like that.
18:11 Virat has been given a directive.
18:12 Go out there and hit the ball and pick your gaps, do whatever.
18:16 And then you get out.
18:16 You don't have to play 20 overs.
18:19 This is a mistake.
18:19 Often, our Indian batters, going to record-making streak over the years, they think batting
18:27 throughout the year, throughout 20 overs, is going to help the team.
18:30 But that's not the thing.
18:31 It's a T20 game.
18:33 It's a team game.
18:34 There are other batsmen.
18:35 You might lose four wickets against Pakistan.
18:37 But then the middle order looks quite solid.
18:40 So, middle order is like a backbone of any structure.
18:44 The backbone is strong.
18:45 Middle order is strong.
18:46 No matter how big you are.
18:47 We've seen how Virat was the captain.
18:49 Top three.
18:49 Couldn't take you anywhere.
18:51 Now we have a good middle order.
18:52 So, I am hoping that India will really do something different,
18:56 which they couldn't.
18:57 They used their mind too much.
18:59 At least they can't tamper with the pitch, which they did in 2023, 50-over World Cup.
19:05 So, my hopes are really raised.
19:07 So, this time, there is no chance of tampering because they are not the host nations.
19:11 So, the ball is in the US's court.
19:14 And West Indies' court.
19:17 Can I make a point here?
19:19 Yeah.
19:21 Yeah, yeah.
19:23 Yeah, so, since you were talking about Hardik and Rohit and Team Moral.
19:27 And right now, Indri, you also talked about the 2010 World Cup, where there was a fight and everything.
19:33 I think the best example is the 2011 World Cup, where at least five players were not great friends of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
19:43 And if you look at the contributions, Yuvraj Singh, player of the tournament,
19:48 Gautam Kameer, 97 in the final and a few contributions before that.
19:53 Harbhajan Singh, very good throughout the tournament.
19:55 And I mean, yeah, these are the three main people.
20:00 Virender Sehwag had a very good tournament.
20:02 So, if you look at what happened to India in the 2019 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup final,
20:08 there were these stories coming out that maybe some players didn't want to play for the captain.
20:14 Some players were not keen on doing well because they didn't want to see the
20:20 trophy in the hands of the captain.
20:22 But if you look at the 2011 World Cup, it's the best example of how Gautam Kameer and Yuvraj Singh,
20:27 who aren't the best friends of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, they and Harbhajan Singh, these three people,
20:33 they kind of did so much to ensure India ended up winning the trophy.
20:39 So, even now, in this particular World Cup, I think it's important that we get everything together.
20:45 I know Hardik Pandya was the captain of the T20 side after the 2022 World Cup finished.
20:52 And it's important that Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma work out whatever problems they might have.
20:59 And what happens, the team success should come first.
21:03 And I think the best example is what I just said about the 2011 World Cup.
21:06 So, I hope that happens.
21:09 I hope that happens.
21:11 And I think one should not look so much in IPL form.
21:14 I think the Indian team, I think they can do well.
21:17 I think they can do well in this World Cup.
21:19 We'll have to see how the players do and everything.
21:21 Sometimes, you can just have very good tournaments out of the blue.
21:26 Dada, let me get back to you.
21:29 As Shakya just mentioned about Hardik, everybody thought he is going to be the
21:37 captain for India in the T20 World Cup.
21:40 Before the honorary BCCI secretary announced out of the blue that Rohit is going to lead the side
21:45 in the Caribbean and the US, what actually transpired in between that Hardik just went down in the pecking order?
21:57 I think Rohit never left the captaincy.
22:02 People often make that mistake.
22:04 Rohit was not doing captaincy because Hardik was a standing captain.
22:08 Rohit was not playing the T20 format because he was preparing and keeping himself fresh along with Virat Kohli for the 50-over World Cup.
22:16 The moment it got over, they all obviously wanted to get back in.
22:19 But what I really like about Hardik Pandya is that when he sees the Indian colour, something happens to him.
22:26 In IPL, we know for sure that Mumbai Indians didn't know that Rohit is going to be the captain of T20 World Cup team.
22:35 They probably wouldn't have changed it.
22:37 That really polluted their dressing room.
22:39 But nevertheless, it's the thing of the past.
22:42 Now they have been together.
22:43 And we have seen.
22:44 And the fact that Shakya talked about Dhoni not on the same page with some of the senior players in the team.
22:50 Still, they have managed to win the World Cup.
22:51 And the fact was Sachin Tendulkar.
22:53 He went and spoke to every cricketer before that World Cup.
22:57 And he said, "You have to be together."
22:58 And Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Gautam, Sehwag, they all got together and said, "We have to do this for Sachin."
23:06 And there was a mission of the team.
23:09 So, Indian team obviously needs to find some element that we are doing it for some cause.
23:16 Probably giving a winning send-off to Rohit and Virat Kohli from T20 cricket.
23:24 So, enough is enough. There are a lot of people waiting in the wings.
23:27 Let's get some young fellows coming in. We want to see that.
23:31 Probably, you know, that transition is not easy.
23:34 And here, Rohit Sharma and Harbik Pandya, they were caught in that transition, whatever battle.
23:42 We are on pitch battle right now. We can talk about the battles quite openly.
23:47 So, I think they got in that well.
23:50 So, who do you think could be the Yuvraj's, Gautam Gambhir's, the Virat Sehwag's of this Indian side?
23:59 If India, I mean, for India to end up winning this tournament.
24:05 I think Rishabh Pant is the only X-Factor I see.
24:10 Ashish Bhai would agree with me. Ashish Bhai, Rishabh Pant for me is the X-Factor.
24:15 I don't see anyone else who has that sort of heart, you know, big heart to go and win matches.
24:22 Because he is very desperate what he has gone through in last one and a half years.
24:26 He has come back, fought hard to be there.
24:29 We didn't know before the IPL started whether he can actually come back to the team or not.
24:33 But the way he has come back, the dramatic turnaround in his life.
24:38 And he is hungry. He has missed so much of cricket. His appetite is huge.
24:42 He is looking like a different kettle of fish.
24:46 Best champions for you.
24:49 Yeah, I think Rishabh Pant. I will also say Rishabh Pant.
24:54 Because Rishabh Pant is a big match player.
24:57 And I don't know if his presence would have made a difference in the World Cup final.
25:04 But if you look at the fact that he has played important innings in important matches in the past.
25:10 So, Rishabh Pant will make a difference if he had to go all the way.
25:15 I would have said in terms of T20 playing ability, even Surya Kumar Yadav.
25:19 But let's see, I think Surya Kumar Yadav, he has done very well in T20 cricket.
25:26 But in the World Cup, he didn't particularly play very well in the World Cup semi-final that happened in 2022.
25:33 But yeah, Rishabh Pant. I would say Rishabh Pant. He is a big match player.
25:38 Okay. Dharma, let me ask you.
25:42 Other than a 50-over game, where you need partnerships and stuff like this.
25:50 Over here, it's a bit different, isn't it?
25:51 T20 is more about, come in, do quick-fire 20-30.
25:55 And if it's your day, you make a big 50.
25:57 And you have done the job, right?
25:59 And you need not only one star player to actually make this happen.
26:04 You need at least two, three to click in a game.
26:06 And that just changes how the game is actually played.
26:11 And bowlers, I think, we haven't talked much about the bowlers.
26:14 But bowlers are going to be very, very key here.
26:16 And India bowling line-up is fairly strong.
26:20 Specifically, the type of pitches.
26:23 At least in the first round, where all these games are being played in the US for India.
26:27 It will really come into play.
26:29 Yes, as Sakya rightly mentioned, let's talk about the bowling attack.
26:35 We are travelling with four spinners, front-line spinners.
26:40 And any one of those can be in the playing XI on any given day,
26:46 on any part of the world when India is playing.
26:50 So, but who, according to you, could be the first one, or first two,
26:56 India is going to start with?
26:59 Of course, when the India-Pakistan match comes up,
27:02 they might be looking for players who have the experience of playing against Pakistan,
27:09 or maybe handling the big match pressure better than the others.
27:14 But if we start with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Akshar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav,
27:22 who should be the first, the two spinners India should be relying on in this particular match,
27:29 and the one coming right next to this?
27:31 Inderil Da?
27:37 Yeah, I think, you know, Jadeja, Kuldeep are the two top choices you have.
27:44 And then you have Chahal and, of course, Akshar Patel.
27:52 I can't say Akshar Patel is the spinner.
27:54 Yeah, but I think Akshar, Jadeja, Kuldeep are the guys I would look at.
28:02 Because Akshar coming in will strengthen the batting, probably, in the Pakistan game,
28:06 where you have to go all out. There is no looking back, there is no staying back.
28:10 But Chahal has done a wonderful job. I mean, how can you miss out?
28:16 That will add variety. But Chahal's batting is not as good as it should be.
28:20 So, then you have, we are batting till 8. Even fielding, yeah.
28:24 But he has taken some wonderful catches in the knockout stages, if you remember, in the short third area.
28:31 I like the way he was moving on the field. But looking at what Chahal can do, it's tremendous.
28:40 Without Chahal also, we are batting till 8, which is amazing.
28:43 With Dubey coming in, he will strengthen the batting also.
28:47 And you have 7 bowling options. It's up to the team.
28:50 Because Jadeja and Akshar are the same, similar kind of cricketer.
28:57 What's the point of making them play like that? I don't see the justification.
29:01 But Indian team probably will go with Akshar over Chahal.
29:05 Okay. So, what sort of news is trickling from New York?
29:12 What is going to be the likely 11 for India, Dada, in this opening game?
29:18 So, as I said, it's quite simple. We start off with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opening the innings.
29:31 Which is amazing. First time. I am so excited to see them batting together.
29:34 And followed by Surya, then Rishabh at number 4, which is a very important position.
29:39 Yuvraj Singh is too old. Then, Artik Pandey at 5. 6 could be Dubey. 7, Jadeja. Akshar could be 8.
29:45 I am just giving you… Then, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shiraj, Jaswit Bhumrah.
29:52 That's my 11, which I started off with.
29:54 Okay.
29:55 So, that's my 11. Probably, Chahal could walk in just to give variety to the spin attack.
30:02 But our spin is good. You need spinners. The ground is not as short as you think in New York.
30:07 It's quite a decent-sized ground. And the pitch is slow. Outfield is heavy.
30:12 The ball is not travelling to the boundary. So, you want to hit the ball, get to the pitch with the ball,
30:17 or wait for the ball. Either you play early or you play late. That's the mantra in New York today.
30:24 And this is a good practice match. We already had one against Bangladesh.
30:27 And now, we have been against Ireland. You should take it as a practice match, deep down inside.
30:32 But it's a World Cup game. Nevertheless, you have to win. And win convincingly.
30:35 And ensure the opposition in the pool are quite wary of the fact that you are coming.
30:44 India, India, Indian team is coming. You have to be careful. You have to be on your feet.
30:49 And the obvious signal should be given to Pakistan.
30:51 And we should give them that feeling that we are in red-hot form.
30:56 And when it comes to India, which is the national flag, the spirit goes to a different level.
31:03 And that's what we are looking at.
31:05 This guy coming at number 3 somehow doesn't convince me.
31:09 I mean, it's a specialist batting position. And very cold.
31:14 And you have a very unorthodox player coming and batting at that number.
31:18 With the ball, could be still doing a bit. Right?
31:21 It's not like you can just play unorthodox shots from ball one.
31:26 And if Surya doesn't do that, then he is actually wasting his talent and what his role is about.
31:34 Alright.
31:37 Yes. And people have to remember the reputation of being the number 1 T20I batter.
31:44 So, the rash shots, the ram shots, whatever we speak about.
31:50 Initially, he will have to spend some time. Settle down. Settle his nerves, eyes.
31:57 And then maybe get on with the job of playing those unorthodox shots.
32:02 We have talked a lot about Shivam Dubey, the all-rounder.
32:09 He is a big hitter. He clears the ball quite convincingly.
32:15 But the pitches in US are not very conducive of his batting.
32:22 Although, he is a very good batter against spin bowling as well.
32:25 But the ball will not come on nicely on the bat.
32:30 Dada, is it going to be a concern for someone like Shivam Dubey who has not played a lot of international cricket as well?
32:37 I mean, the cushioning he has got in the middle-order, the seniors he has got, the fact that he was groomed by Dhoni.
32:45 The fact that Dhoni suggested his name to the selectors.
32:48 So, all those factors put together, I think the confidence should be high.
32:52 And Dubey's confidence is high. He has got that little chip on his shoulder also.
32:57 He is playing for India. He doesn't give you interviews.
33:00 He has got all that swagger which you need.
33:04 But ultimately, if you are scoring for India, that's what matters.
33:07 What you did for Chennai, Spokane, is a different thing.
33:10 We had so many players who came and scored in the IPL and went off to a different journey.
33:16 They sort of lost their way.
33:19 But since you have got an opportunity, I am sure an Indian team is taking a very good look at him.
33:24 I am sure he is going to do something special.
33:27 Given a chance, he can hit the ball. That's a good…
33:29 But he has to wait for the ball. That's the only deal here.
33:32 Yeah. Okay, gentlemen. Let's get to the wash-out between England and Scotland.
33:39 The teams had to share the spoils. Points were shared.
33:43 But that also meant that England are yet to register a win over a European team in the T20 World Cup.
33:51 So, Ashish, how is the feel? How is the josh in England?
33:56 And just explain how bad the fans must have seen.
34:02 Because they would have easily pocketed those 2 vital 2 points.
34:05 And now, the remaining games, they will have to win and ensure that the others…
34:10 I mean, they don't fall down in the pecking order.
34:14 I guess English players are quite used to rain.
34:18 And eventually play for the run rate.
34:20 So, I don't think that will be an issue.
34:22 Yes, it was one of their first games.
34:24 And it's unfortunate that they are sharing points rather than just bagging them in.
34:30 I think it's a pretty strong team.
34:32 With Jorfraser coming back into the team.
34:34 They get additional edge.
34:36 So, you got Mark Wood and Jorfra Archer.
34:38 Just imagine, 2 bowlers bowling at that pace.
34:41 Given if they get the right pitches to bowl on.
34:45 That is a very lethal combination to start with.
34:48 And then, batting, I just don't need to say that.
34:50 They have always played with the mindset of scoring runs at a higher strike rate.
34:54 And the rest of the world has actually followed them on that.
34:57 I think the closest one is West Indies probably, for them.
35:01 Yeah.
35:03 So, let's wrap up this session.
35:07 This first episode of Pitch Battle.
35:09 Thank you, gentlemen, for connecting.
35:13 Dada, special thanks to you.
35:14 He is also the Crick Blogger now.
35:18 Ladies and gentlemen.
35:20 He is running a very popular Crick blog post.
35:25 It's website called Crick Blogger.
35:27 He is writing some very interesting stories.
35:30 Picking up some very interesting interviews as well.
35:34 So, just be on the lookout for Crick Blogger.
35:38 And also on mykill.com, we are giving a comprehensive holistic coverage to the T20 World Cup.
35:43 And also the upcoming Euro and Copa America tournaments, if you talk about the football action.
35:51 So, stay tuned on One India.
35:54 And see you in the next episode of Pitch Battle.
35:58 Thank you.
35:59 Thank you.
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36:04 (whooshing)