India have many match-winners in one-dayers: Sourav Ganguly
20 Feb 2015 12:11 AM GMT
“In ODIs, there are a lot of match winners. Rohit Sharma is one, his 100 in Melbourne (second ODI of the tri-series against Australia) was remarkable,” said Ganguly. He also insisted the defending champions have got a very good chance of going all the way in this edition of the World Cup.
“Yeah, I do give them a chance. In one-day cricket, I always give India a chance and with the format, we just have to get to the quarterfinals and then three games...anybody’s game,” Ganguly told a news channel.
Stating the key to India’s success will be to “remain fresh”, Ganguly said, “It’s been a long tour...four Tests in Australia where you’ve been battered, you been hit hard. The bowlers have run in and bowled 500 runs in every Test match, 300 runs in second innings whenever Australia has batted. So you can see it on Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav. When you see their body, you can make it from outside that they are tired. That’s why I said in one of my interviews that I hope India don’t qualify for the tri-series so that it gives them a break. I would rather wanted them to come back for 3-4 days...unpack and then go back and play the WC.”
Asked about India’s death bowling, which has been a serious concern, the 42-year-old said: “To be honest, at the moment it is only one Mohammad Shami, who I think is a very good death bowler. I expect a lot from Umesh Yadav. I think he is an under achieved, he is lot better bowler than that. The way Bhuvneshwar Kumar has bowled in one day matches and Tests, he is not the Bhuvneshwar Kumar in England or the way we have seen in other parts of the world. I don’t know whether he is still recovering from his injury. “So Shami, Umesh, they all have to share the ball in death overs, because you just can’t depend on one bowler for death overs,” explained Ganguly.
On whether he thought the wicket would take turn in Australia, Ganguly said it depended on conditions. “It may be at the end of the season, but wickets in World Cup would be prepared well, you won’t get rank turners. Curators will prepare good pitches. India will play West Indies in Perth, so different condition will have different bowlers and once you go to knockout stage, it depends on where you play and you decide,” he said.
“Yeah, I do give them a chance. In one-day cricket, I always give India a chance and with the format, we just have to get to the quarterfinals and then three games...anybody’s game,” Ganguly told a news channel.
Stating the key to India’s success will be to “remain fresh”, Ganguly said, “It’s been a long tour...four Tests in Australia where you’ve been battered, you been hit hard. The bowlers have run in and bowled 500 runs in every Test match, 300 runs in second innings whenever Australia has batted. So you can see it on Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav. When you see their body, you can make it from outside that they are tired. That’s why I said in one of my interviews that I hope India don’t qualify for the tri-series so that it gives them a break. I would rather wanted them to come back for 3-4 days...unpack and then go back and play the WC.”
Asked about India’s death bowling, which has been a serious concern, the 42-year-old said: “To be honest, at the moment it is only one Mohammad Shami, who I think is a very good death bowler. I expect a lot from Umesh Yadav. I think he is an under achieved, he is lot better bowler than that. The way Bhuvneshwar Kumar has bowled in one day matches and Tests, he is not the Bhuvneshwar Kumar in England or the way we have seen in other parts of the world. I don’t know whether he is still recovering from his injury. “So Shami, Umesh, they all have to share the ball in death overs, because you just can’t depend on one bowler for death overs,” explained Ganguly.
On whether he thought the wicket would take turn in Australia, Ganguly said it depended on conditions. “It may be at the end of the season, but wickets in World Cup would be prepared well, you won’t get rank turners. Curators will prepare good pitches. India will play West Indies in Perth, so different condition will have different bowlers and once you go to knockout stage, it depends on where you play and you decide,” he said.
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