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00:00You know, of course, Kohli has been exceptional. Rohit Sharma himself, he's led fantastically well, and the bowling attack has been really special.
00:10I think that's where India has actually scored over most of these teams.
00:14You see, most of these teams, they do not have foot spinners in the middle, in the middle overs.
00:20And with the Indian bowlers, almost all the bowlers are capable of taking a five-wicket hole, which we've seen now, right?
00:31This is the Straight Bad with Gulf News. Our weekly analysis of the World Cricket Cup.
00:37And I am Shyam, and with me are Satish and Jay from Gulf News.
00:42And we have a very special guest, that is Robin Singh, former India player and former UAE coach.
00:47Welcome to the show, Robin.
00:50I think we'll start with you straight away because you have been part of the Indian set-up, you've been part of the coaching staff,
00:57so you have some idea about how they go about it. India's strong performance has been the talk of the World Cup.
01:02So, talk us through that.
01:04Well, it's not rocket science. I think, you know, first of all, when you play a World Cup, it's a long tournament.
01:12So, I think it's important to manage yourself, manage injuries, make sure that everyone is in a good space.
01:19You don't go into a tournament trying to prepare for that tournament.
01:24When you go into a tournament like a World Cup, you need to be prepared.
01:27So, all bases should have been covered by then.
01:30Of course, some teams start getting into the tournament, they try to peak during the course of the tournament.
01:37But I think India has covered all bases.
01:41I think every time they have been in some sort of trouble, whether it's with the bat or with the ball, they have managed to come out of it, you know, with flying colours.
01:51And I think everyone at some point in time, during the course of the game or the tournament, have actually stood up.
01:58And, you know, stood up and made that difference.
02:01So, you know, of course, Kohli has been exceptional.
02:05Rohit Sharma himself, he has led fantastically well.
02:09And the bowling attack has been really special.
02:12I think that's where India has actually scored over most of these teams.
02:16You see, most of these teams, they do not have foot-spinners in the middle, in the middle overs.
02:22And with the Indian bowlers, almost all the bowlers are capable of taking a five-wicket hole, which we have seen now, right?
02:30So, that's a very healthy sign.
02:34And it's actually a detrimental combination to play against.
02:39Because there is no real risk fight when you go to play.
02:43It's not like you can say, I am batting in the middle and we have a weak bowler.
02:47Most of the teams have one weak bowler.
02:50And sometimes, they have a part-time bowler.
02:52And sometimes, some of the main bowlers have been injured for that matter.
02:55So, you find lot of the teams have actually not put everything together.
02:59And India is in a situation where they are able to dictate and call the shots. That's number one.
03:06Number two, we can't forget that a team like Australia, they are starting to peak.
03:12So, that's one team that you really need to watch out for.
03:15Because they are playing a couple of weaker teams now.
03:17And if they do get through that on a winning note, they would have actually peaked.
03:23Especially in the semis. It's exactly where they would want to be.
03:28Okay. Now, one of the standard performers for India was Mohamed Shami.
03:35And considering that, he was not even playing in the first few games.
03:39And it was rather fortuitous trick for him.
03:42But unlucky for Hardik Pandya, which got him a space in the team.
03:46Now, Sai, to you, Jay. What are your impressions of Shami's bowling so far?
03:56Yeah. No doubt, he's been the biggest surprise package.
04:00It was actually a surprise that was brought in the part of the tournament started.
04:07But what he's turned out to be is an amazing thing.
04:10I mean, nobody would have expected him to come up with a performance like that.
04:15He's actually now made things easier for India.
04:18Because probably one of the biggest factors in the World Cup right now we are seeing is
04:25how good is your bowling attack.
04:27And Shami adding into the space attack with Bumrah and Siraj, it's further strengthened the team.
04:35And we are seeing the results. He's been really good.
04:38And Shami has been enjoying every moment of it.
04:40Picking up two, I think, five-wicket holes.
04:43And yesterday also he finished with two wickets.
04:46So, he's been very, very consistent.
04:48And coming as the first change or second change, I think he's been more consistent
04:56rather than coming as a new world bowler.
04:59So, that's turning out to be a big advantage for India right now.
05:04So, hopefully, I think his performance should be taking the team through to the last.
05:12Hopefully, let's see.
05:13But right now, looking at the current scenario, I think the team India has everything that it's supposed to have.
05:20Especially with Shami coming out really good.
05:22So, let's see that. Hopefully, this should help India win the title now.
05:28Okay. Shami... Satish, this is to you.
05:33Shami's arrival actually has kind of tilted the Indian team's balance a bit.
05:38If you remember the earlier games, India went with Hardik Pandya and we had Sadul Thakur.
05:42Which means, we had six bowling options.
05:45But right now, we have five bowling options.
05:50Five specialists.
05:52But will that be a problem in games ahead?
05:55Just in case one of somebody gets injured or one of the bowlers gets taken off for a run.
06:01How will India cope, Satish?
06:04I think, Shami, if you look at the last eight games, I don't think any team has put Indian bowling under pressure.
06:13We expected South Africa to put…
06:16Or rather, South Africans to put Indian bowling because they have been under pressure.
06:20Because they have scored a couple of 300, 400.
06:23But unfortunately, yesterday's match proved a point where the Indian bowling line-up stands.
06:28Vis-a-vis with the rest of the other teams.
06:31So, I think, in a way, it has also helped Hardik Pandya's injury.
06:36And having five specialist bowlers have in a way put pressure on the guys to deliver.
06:43Because what happens is, when you have options to sneak or when you have options B and options C,
06:49then there is a chance that one might have an off-day.
06:53Not by design, but sometimes they might have an off-day by default.
06:58But here, what happens is, they are all on their toes.
07:01They know that if they don't perform, it will let the team down.
07:04So, in that sense, I think, playing five bowlers has really helped the team India.
07:09And all the five bowlers are in form.
07:12If you look at each match, each bowler has performed.
07:15Whether it be Kuldeep Kayyadav, or whether it be Ravindra Jadeja, or Bumrah, early-strike, Shami or Siraj.
07:24Everyone has performed.
07:26So, that makes it a complete package.
07:29And as Robin said, the bowling is relentless.
07:32There is no easy time where you can say, okay, let me see the first 10 overs off and then I can take my chances.
07:38No. Here, 50 overs, they are not going to give anything off.
07:42And if they have to really take on these bowlers, they have to take their chances.
07:48And every time you take a chance, as a batter, you end up giving your wicket away.
07:53That's an easy way to put it.
07:55So, in that sense, I don't think…
07:57Just veering away from India.
08:02And I think I couldn't help but go to Robin with this question on the flop of the World Cup.
08:08England has been the flop of the World Cup, no doubt.
08:11Just one win in seven matches, that was not expected of the defending champions.
08:16Robin, where did it go wrong for them?
08:21I think the brand of cricket that they were playing in UK…
08:26Well, they call it the brand of cricket that they said they were playing.
08:29You can't really play that brand consistently in 50-over format.
08:35Because I think the fields are always spread out.
08:40You can get out, taking risks.
08:44When you are playing that format in Test cricket, you always have three flips a gully.
08:49Two flips a gully.
08:51You have a lot more spaces on the ground.
08:53One needs to remember that.
08:54So, there are a lot more boundaries that can be hit.
08:56In a 50-over format, you have less boundaries that will be hit.
09:00Because you have more fielders who are spread out, number one.
09:03Number two, if you look at the bowling attack of England, they have come with a bowling attack which…
09:08And the spinners are very…
09:10Apart from Rashid, they have nothing to talk about in the spin department, right?
09:16The seamers, they have mostly seam bowlers, right?
09:20And seam bowling, actually, unless you are someone like Shami, who actually hits that length all the time consistently.
09:29He is a bit shorter. So, he has to bowl a bit fuller.
09:32So, he tends to extract that movement from the surface.
09:35Whereas, you see most of the other bowlers, the English bowlers or the Australian bowlers, they are much taller.
09:40So, they tend to pull the length back little more.
09:42It gives you a lot more time to play.
09:44And the surfaces don't really aid fast bowling.
09:47If you see most of the surfaces in India, they have not really assisted the fast bowlers.
09:52But you have to have the skills to be able to extract something from the surface, right?
09:57And that's where people like Shami and them have actually been head and shoulders above any of the other positions that we have come across.
10:06If you have not hit the right lengths in India, right?
10:09You will be thoroughly exposed.
10:11Irrespective of how good you are and who you are.
10:13And I think England got that trick wrong.
10:16They have also had too many all-rounders in the side who are non-performers.
10:21And I personally feel that someone like Butler should be opening the innings.
10:25He shouldn't be batting at number 5.
10:27His best position to bat is opening when he plays fearlessly.
10:32That's how he bats, right?
10:34And if he gets off, he gets off.
10:36He can win you a game quite easily.
10:38But at the number he is batting, he is always in a position where he has been defending.
10:42Or he has been on the back foot.
10:44And opposition also are not allowing him to get going at all.
10:49They are trying to bring in bowlers who will actually sort of pin him down.
10:54Remember when you play T20 cricket and you play 50-over cricket.
10:57You can still get away when you play T20.
11:01Because you are facing a bowler maybe 1-over, 5 balls.
11:04You don't have the luxury of bowling 10-overs in a game, right?
11:08Here, a guy, if you are not good against two bowlers, you can bowl them in tandem.
11:14Against different batters.
11:16And you have to play 10-overs.
11:1810-overs in a game is big today.
11:19Because 10-overs in a game, because of the rules, actually, it brings down the score if you don't play well by 60-70 runs.
11:26The way the game is structured today.
11:28So, it's quite tactical.
11:32But I think the team that they picked for this tournament, I think they needed some better bowlers, to be very frank.
11:39Yes, the batting didn't do well.
11:41I don't think they have many better batters than what they have there.
11:44But the structure of the batting also is wrong.
11:47Someone like Brooks, for that matter, should be playing all the game.
11:51I mean, he is a young guy.
11:53He can play well.
11:55I think he is way better than someone like a Livingston who you are just hoping that he can bowl you 3-4-overs.
12:00And he is just a part-time bowler.
12:02And he is more of a T20 player, if you look at it.
12:05So, honestly, they started losing.
12:09And they seem to be in total disarray.
12:11The moment they lost.
12:13I mean, if you take someone like Ben Stokes.
12:17He has been let down in the tournament.
12:19And he has been rated so high.
12:21And you have him at number 4.
12:23Which is one of the key positions that you are banning him.
12:26So, you think about the structure of the game.
12:28I mean, sometimes you have to make a change.
12:30And let people know that they need to step up.
12:34You know, you can't be going through the entire tournament with the same batting order and the same structure if people are failing.
12:41Very true.
12:43We couldn't agree more, Robin.
12:45You are spot-on with that.
12:47Now, from England, let's move over to South Africa.
12:50Jay, South Africa has been…
12:53I mean, their batting has been just phenomenal.
12:56Because 5 scores of over 300.
12:59And including 1,400.
13:01They have been the most feared batting lineup.
13:04Forget their defeat to India and Netherlands.
13:07But they have been phenomenal in the way they were batting first.
13:10I insist on batting first.
13:12Because whenever they bat second, they look very, very, very fragile.
13:15Now, my question is simply because India and…
13:19Apart from India, actually, it is South Africa who has qualified for the semi-final.
13:24Will they choke in the semi-final?
13:26I would rather even…
13:29I think Bhaumav also didn't want to answer that question in the press conference.
13:33But I was actually expecting them to come up with a better performance yesterday against India.
13:40But after that performance, I still…
13:43If they end up batting first, they are a different side altogether.
13:47They are very confident.
13:48Their batsmen are really going for every shot.
13:51And chase against Pakistan also, they barely managed to win the match.
13:57Thanks to Keshav Maharaj, that last knock.
14:00Or else, if they are batting first, the team is really looking good.
14:05So, the chokers tag, again, I have a feeling, it depends on their toss.
14:09I am sure if they win the toss, they will be going for opting to bat first.
14:14But in case the toss doesn't favour them, then I have a feeling that as chasers, they have not been very good.
14:20But I hope they are reaching their strategy now.
14:25Go get back to the drawing table and at least find out what went wrong with the chasers.
14:30It's not that they are not able to handle the quality of bowling.
14:35But at one point, I felt that they were trying to dominate the bowling.
14:41Going for the big shots instead of looking for those singles.
14:44Which India has been doing exceptionally well.
14:47So, if they actually manage to see through that middle overs without losing much wickets,
14:52then probably they will be a very good team.
14:55We can see in the final.
14:57And probably, if they come up with that good performance, they can even end up winning the title.
15:03But I will be hoping that toss works in their favour.
15:08So, if that is the case, then South Africa will be an unstoppable team for sure.
15:15Okay. But what we have seen is South Africa and Prussia doesn't go well together.
15:21Just to add to what Jai has said.
15:27Not just the toss and the chase.
15:29There is also another factor called Swinton-De Kock.
15:32For them to score big, he has to be scoring runs in the start as well.
15:37Otherwise, in the two games which he has failed,
15:40they have struggled to reach any target or even take a big score.
15:44That's the whole thing.
15:46That reminds me of India at the last World Cup when Rohit was scoring all those four centuries.
15:51Okay. Let's just come back. Get back to 2023.
15:55Satish, you seem to have a lot of faith in New Zealand.
15:58But they were blown away by Pakistan.
16:01The way Pakistan was chasing that 400.
16:03I thought even if they had played the full overs, they would have won it.
16:07Where do New Zealand go from here?
16:10I think injuries to a couple of bowlers has really taken a toll on New Zealand.
16:15Unfortunately, New Zealand has been under the injury cloud.
16:18Kane Williamson was injured. He came back. He got injured.
16:22Again, he is coming back.
16:23So, New Zealand is one team that has been, along with Sri Lanka,
16:27probably the most affected team due to the injuries.
16:31That's where I think Sodhi playing Sodhi against Pakistan is like throwing a lamb among the wolves.
16:40Pakistan players play the spin very well.
16:43So, bringing Sodhi in his first game during this World Cup is probably not the right tactic.
16:49But that's where they have been going wrong.
16:53Because they are not able to have the right team combination.
16:56The first four games, they had probably the same combination.
16:59They went well. They played well.
17:01And then Kane Williamson came.
17:03And then they had to shuffle the team again once.
17:06And then they went back again.
17:07They had to shuffle the team again.
17:09So, there is no set team right now.
17:11So, I think the injuries to the bowlers have cost New Zealand.
17:14Because they won the first four games.
17:16And then they are on a four-match losing streak in the last four games.
17:21But I still feel they have a fairly easier chance to still take their place in the semifinals.
17:30Because they are playing, I think, Sri Lanka in their last game in Bengaluru.
17:38Which should help them to go through the process.
17:41And with a better run rate, they should sneak in.
17:44But yes, luck has not been on their side in the last few games.
17:49That's what I would say.
17:53Robin, we don't have our Pakistan expert with us.
17:56Ashfaq is still on leave.
17:58So, I have a Pakistan question for you.
18:00You have, as part of the Indian team or Indian team management too.
18:04So, you have been involved in planning and strategizing against Pakistan.
18:09So, you are a better place to explain Pakistan's resurgence.
18:13Tell us, how did they bounce back?
18:16I think their bowling is critical. Pakistan bowling.
18:20I like the bowling attack that they had in the last game.
18:22That they had four seamers.
18:24Because, I mean, sometimes you play a spinner because you want to play a spinner, right?
18:28But is that spinner good enough to play?
18:30So, to me, for Pakistan, they have to play the four or five best bowlers.
18:36And the fast bowlers look the best to me.
18:39They have brought in, I think, Waseem.
18:42He has bowled really well.
18:43They have the other guy.
18:45I think this guy needs to really step up.
18:48Haris Rauf.
18:50I think if he can step up, I think it will make a huge difference.
18:54But I think these two guys actually are quite, you know, they can be quite lethal if they can hit their straps.
19:00Especially in the middle overs.
19:02I don't think they should be relying too much on reverse swing.
19:05They should look at actually being aggressive and really looking at hitting the lengths in the middle overs.
19:12They do have a good bowling attack.
19:15If they can hit their straps.
19:18I think the four fast bowlers, they have to rely on them to do the job for you.
19:23I don't think the wickets are going to spin too much, right?
19:26The wickets will be…
19:29Even if there is a little turn, still, there have been assistance for the seamers.
19:33It has been almost 50-50.
19:35If you see, in most of the cases, even though Calcutta spun yesterday a little bit.
19:40But even the Indian seamers got wickets, right?
19:42And all these guys, they are used to Asian conditions.
19:45They are used to playing in these conditions.
19:47I think Bakar Zaman has made a huge difference.
19:50That's the sort of player you require at the start of your innings.
19:54And it's nice to see Baba getting runs.
19:57I mean, I think he is critical for them as well.
20:00So, these are the three or four things that I see.
20:03I think they have a good chance.
20:05Of course, they will have to wait and see the result of the New Zealand game.
20:08If New Zealand wins the game, then they probably will have to win by a big margin in terms of run rate.
20:14But saying that, if New Zealand lose the game, it's a question of a straight win.
20:20And that's really what they need to do.
20:23Against England, England is down and out, right?
20:26So, I just think they need to play good solid cricket against England and they will probably beat England.
20:31Very true.
20:34And let's go back to Jay.
20:37Jay, Afghanistan has been a revolution in this World Cup.
20:41And Afghanistan win no longer surprises us.
20:44I mean, what makes them tick?
20:47I know one of the main factors has been Jonathan Trott, the coach there.
20:52But even as a unit, they have clicked.
20:55How do they do it?
20:56I think probably compared to many other teams, I think they know the conditions very well.
21:03Many of them play the IPL and that's, I think, helped them a lot to understand the conditions there.
21:08The biggest factor I have seen in the team is, they have exactly adapted what India has been doing in the middle overs.
21:16Going slow through the phases.
21:18Instead of going for the big shots, rotating the strike, taking the quick singles, taking the twos and getting the odd boundaries and the sixes.
21:27And building innings very carefully.
21:30So I think that has helped the team understand the value of a 50-over game.
21:36And the conditions have been not new to them.
21:41Knowing that they have all been playing in this side of the continent very frequently.
21:47I mean, given all those, I think the team has emerged to be one of the strongest contenders.
21:54Now probably, even if they get another surprise win, they might probably get into the last four.
21:59So, it's good to see a team which probably nobody even had expected to get a single win.
22:07Or probably just a win or two, becoming a strong contender for the last four.
22:11So, it's good to see Afghanistan actually develop as a very important team.
22:23No, they are no longer pushovers. You cannot take them lightly.
22:27They are such a strong side.
22:29And especially, they have a quality spin attack with Rashid Khan, Nabi and the new guy, Noor Ahmed.
22:35The left-arm extenuaries come out nicely, really.
22:37So, I think that makes them very, very formidable.
22:40You can't take them lightly.
22:42So, Satish, one of the things which we talked about earlier was the surprise losses for Australia.
22:48They were struggling to put together a decent team.
22:50They didn't seem to get the team right.
22:52But we also said that you can never write Australia off.
22:56And that is precisely what's happened.
22:58Maxwell Issa was out of injury.
23:01Mitch Marsh had to rush home for an emergency.
23:04None of that has seemed to have affected them.
23:06So, in fact, Australia are pushing for a slot in the semi-final.
23:10Tell us about their revival.
23:13No, Australia always had the players with them.
23:18It's just that the confidence they need to get under the conditions.
23:21Because they were playing in South Africa.
23:23And from there, they came down to India and just played three matches there.
23:27Of course, some of them were still not part of the team.
23:30Some of them were injured.
23:32So, it all adds up to that.
23:34But after the first two games, again, the first game was against India.
23:37Which is not an easy opponent.
23:39So, after the first two games, they got their act together.
23:43And once they sniff or once they taste success, Australia is a different beast altogether.
23:49Because they will know exactly how to put pressure on the opponent.
23:53They know how to hunt in packs, basically.
23:56That's how they do it.
23:57They don't believe in a single…
24:00They come.
24:02They first start with the bowling.
24:05They start with the batting.
24:07So, each one takes their turn.
24:08And they are a very professional side.
24:10And I think they are…
24:12My gut feeling is that they should…
24:14They have got two more matches to go.
24:16And they are on 10 points.
24:17Which means they could even become the second team in the table.
24:22So, they are a very, very formidable team.
24:26And for no reason, they have won five World Cups before.
24:31They know how to win.
24:34They know how to play as a unit.
24:36They know how to support each other during testing times.
24:40And they are a wonderful side.
24:43And I think one more aspect is that Steve Smith is still not from this year.
24:50He is a big-match player.
24:52And he could come good at the crucial stage.
24:55Which makes it even more difficult for the opponent.
24:57So, that way, I would say, I wouldn't be surprised if they booked their place in the finals.
25:04Okay. I think…
25:06Robin, are you still there?
25:07Yeah. I am pretty much here.
25:09Your camera is off. Okay.
25:11Robin, I will wind up with one last question here.
25:14And one thing I couldn't ask.
25:16We have seen Quinton de Kock scoring centuries at will.
25:20We have seen Virat Kohli performing exceptionally well.
25:25And one guy who really caught my eye was Rajan Ravindra.
25:28He is 23.
25:29He is making his World Cup debut.
25:31Three centuries on debut.
25:33What do you make of him?
25:34Yeah. He looks a really good player.
25:37He looks like he has a lot of time.
25:39He is not afraid to play shots.
25:41And he is a very good on-side player.
25:44Probably, he will have to work a little more on his off-side game.
25:47Based on what I saw.
25:48I guess, the wickets here sort of suit his game.
25:53He has a very straight bat, if you see.
25:55So, I think on these wickets, if you play straight, you have a lot of chances of succeeding.
26:00We will really have to see him when the conditions are testing him a little bit.
26:05Especially on maybe slightly bigger grounds.
26:08Lot more bounce where the short ball can probably trouble him a little bit.
26:13And anything that is leaving him or going away from him,
26:17you will find that opposition will start targeting those sort of areas going forward.
26:22But yeah, he looks probably the best young player on show.
26:25Outside the regular guys.
26:28And definitely want to look for the future.
26:31An exceptional player, I would say.
26:33And he has got some good skills with the ball as well.
26:35True. Very true.
26:37Whatever we have seen is very, very impressive.
26:39That is it from straight bat.
26:42And we will be back next week with more analysis of the World Cup.
26:45Thank you to our guest. Thank you, Robin.
26:47And thank you, Satish. And thank you, Jay.