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THE HINDU DELHI SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2019 SPORT 17 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Batting will hold the key in the battle of bruisers India’s attack has the pace to rattle the Australian top-order; Starc and Cummins are capable of menace and hostility K.C. Vijaya Kumar London World Cups are largely about the macro­vision. It reflects an all­encompassing gaze, blends in a fierce desire to script fresh legacies, and al­ ways thrives upon a squad’s itch to prove its global cre­ dentials. Unfortunately for India and its larger footprint of Twitterati, fans and sec­ tions of the media, the focus was solely on an army insig­ nia that M.S. Dhoni flaunted on his wicket­keeping gloves during the match against South Africa at Honing their skills: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan at a net session ahead of their clash against Australia. * AFP Southampton. The gesture reflected the ice. Its corridor­walls feature the ODI series 2­1 and when at Nottingham. the very best and if it is a former India captain’s fond­ photographs, most of them Australia toured, the visitor India’s Jasprit Bumrah question of middle­over skir­ ness for the army but it vio­ black­and­white and harking prevailed 3­2. and his fellow­seamers mishes, the Aussies have reg­ lated the International Crick­ back to old heroes and their would be keen to probe any ularly played spinners Yuz­ et Council’s (ICC) stirring sporting tales. Cut to Adding depth vulnerability. vendra Chahal and Kuldeep player­apparel rules. The the present, Saturday was The latest episode has the Yadav in the past. subsequent brouhaha over about the teams limbering added weight of Steve Smith India’s batting has to be the ICC’s reservations and up in turns, India had an op­ and David Warner. The duo top­drawer and thankfully the vitriolic utterances that tional hit, and there was the returned after serving a one­ most of its cogs performed at marred the digital space, did slow assemblage of food­ year ban following last sum­ Southampton, especially Ro­ a disservice to the fact that vans outside, promising tra­ mer’s ball­tampering contro­ hit Sharma, who was magnif­ India had started its cam­ ditional British cuisine like versy. The two have added icent. paign on a winning note with fish and chips, to be washed depth and aura to the oppo­ But more needs to be a six­wicket triumph over the down with ale. Also sighted sition outfit and played their done on a pitch that was kept Proteas. Thankfully the ICC was a Gujarati truck, to tickle parts in Australia’s winning under wraps during Friday's refused to budge and now the Indian palate. start. rains, and was allowed to The teams (from): man Khawaja, Jason Behren­ that the controversy is on the A few years ago, Indian Warner remained unbea­ breathe once the sun peeped India: Virat Kohli (Capt.), Rohit dorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Coul­ wane, Virat Kohli’s men can cricket was like ‘when you ten on 89 against Afghanis­ past the clouds on the Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, M.S. ter­Nile, Pat Cummins, Nathan get back to doing what they are bored please play Sri tan while Smith etched a 73 game’s eve. Dhoni, K.L. Rahul, Ravindra Ja­ Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Max­ do best — play cricket. Lanka’. But over the last se­ in the contest involving the There is a 20 per cent deja, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Kar­ well, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell thik, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shan­ Starc, Marcus Stoinis and Adam It is time to take on Austra­ ven months, that fixation has West Indies. Still, a few chance of precipitation dur­ kar, Jasprit Bumrah, Zampa. lia at the Oval on Sunday. been centred around Austra­ chinks have surfaced as Aus­ However, in a battle of ing the clash and the last Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mo­ Umpires: Chris Gaffaney and Ian The venue, with its quaint lia. Kohli’s men and Aaron tralia’s top­order was seen a bouncers, Australia can dish thing the captains need is hammed Shami, Yuzvendra Gould; Third umpire: Nigel tiled, red­brick homes Finch’s feisty troops have touch fragile against the its own version of the ‘per­ the weather adding its own Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Llong; Match referee: Andy around its fringes, has histo­ clashed often since Decem­ short­pitched bowling that fume ball’. Mitchell Starc wicked texture to a storied Australia: Aaron Finch (Capt.), Pycroft. ry coursing through its edif­ ber. Down Under, India won the West Indians unleashed and Pat Cummins can hustle rivalry. David Warner, Steve Smith, Us­ Match starts at 3 p.m. IST. It’s going to be a great contest, says Rohit Winning in India was K.C. Vijaya Kumar viously you have to respect might seem that he didn’t get really important: Finch London the conditions, and, at times, big runs, but that 26 (against Staying in the present and fo­ the bowlers as well, which is South Africa) was as good as SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT into a game like this,” the cusing on performance probably the reason I would getting a 50­plus on that LONDON Australian captain said. The seems to be Rohit Sharma’s say that it is one of the best. pitch. He looked good and Aaron Finch declared that opener also lauded Steve mantra. Ahead of Sunday’s “There was something in was confident. More often he and his team would draw Smith and David Warner. big match against Australia, for the bowlers. You have to than not he will be coming at self­belief from the 3­2 victo­ “Steve is the best batter the India vice­captain spoke try and bat the condition so number four when the ball ry in the ODI series in India in the world in my opinion to the media at the Oval, and that was a bit challenging,” will be doing a bit, and being while squaring up against over all three forms of the he exuded confidence. Rohit recalled his ton. an opener it’s an advantage the familiar rival on Sunday. game. I think when you “In the World Cup, you “I have played more than for him to get used to the “Winning the last three have David who is so des­ have to turn up on that day 200­odd ODIs. Experience conditions quickly.” games (in India) was really tructive at the top, it’s great and play good cricket. What teaches you a lot. You want Among the leading ODI important for us. Whenever for the side. We have always we have done in the past is to make sure that you start run­scorers for India, Rohit you are playing India, you believed that we have a side past. As a team we believe the innings and finish the in­ believed that it is an ‘external have to believe that you can that can win the World that we have to play better nings, as well. When I did reward’ for his performance. beat them because they are Cup,” he said. on that particular day. We that in the first game, the sa­ “For me, it’s always been a world­class side. As for the Indian threats, had a good rivalry between tisfaction you get is someth­ about going and getting the “They have got some all­ be it Virat Kohli, Rohit Shar­ the teams in the last few ing else.” job done for the team. When time great players. So to be ma and Jasprit Bumrah, months. We played good admitted that his match­win­ satisfaction. “It was a mas­ Rohit refused to comment I started opening, it was chal­ able to beat them in their Finch felt that “no freebies cricket in Australia, they ning hundred against South sive confidence booster. on the controversy involving lenging because I have never home conditions three should be given to the bat­ played good cricket in India. Africa wasn’t a regular ag­ Talking about the innings, I M.S. Dhoni’s wicket­keeping done that before in interna­ times in a row was really im­ smen”, and stressed that So it’s going to be a great con­ gressive knock but an in­ felt it was not the way I gloves but was quick to sup­ tional cricket, but I have portant for the confidence “due diligence” has been test,” Rohit said. The opener nings that gave him immense would like to play but ob­ port K.L. Rahul’s ability: “It come a long way.” of the side, especially going done on the spearhead. Net bowler injured Roy and Buttler star in England’s comfortable win Special Correspondent schedule. The former makes 153 and the latter 64; Shakib’s century the lone bright spot for Bangladesh London The bowler was A net bowler suffered a checked immediately and PRESS TRUST OF INDIA runs with Mushfiqur Rahim hosts who won their second World Cup when England freak injury and that then taken to a hospital as CARDIFF (44) after Bangladesh was re­ match. The victory will help was knocked out by Bangla­ caused a scare during a precautionary measure. Opener Jason Roy smashed duced to 63 for two in 12 to exorcise the ghost of 2015 desh. Australia’s training session Later Finch said: “It’s his way to a sensational 153 overs. at the Oval here on quite rare that somebody as England scripted a domi­ Saturday. gets hit, and it’s obviously nating performance to ham­ Crucial wicket David Warner’s full­ very unfortunate.

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