Ricky Ponting, the former Australian cricket legend, shared his thoughts on Team India’s chances of winning the World Cup, expressing his belief that the Men in Blue will prove to be a formidable adversary. He highlighted their remarkable ability to handle intense pressure with resilience.
India commenced their journey in the ICC World Cup 2023 with a series of impressive wins over Australia, Afghanistan, and their arch-rivals, Pakistan. The Men in Blue, after securing titles in 1983 and 2011, are now on the quest for their third Cricket World Cup triumph.
A superb win ✅
A special appreciation for #TeamIndia bowlers from captain Rohit Sharma 👍 👍#CWC23 | #INDvPAK | #MeninBlue | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/IYSKedchj1
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 14, 2023
“I said from the start that I think they’re going to be the team to beat. They’ve got a very talented team. They’ve got all bases covered with their fast bowling, their spin and their top-order, middle-order batting,” Ponting told the ICC. They’re going to be extremely hard to beat. But we’ll see how they hold up under extreme pressure as well.” – Ponting said.
In their match against Pakistan, India secured a resounding seven-wicket victory, with a massive 117 balls to spare in Ahmedabad. Pakistan experienced a dramatic collapse, losing eight wickets for a mere 36 runs, after initially being at 155/2.
Rohit Sharma’s brilliant 86 played a pivotal role in India’s triumph. Five Indian bowlers contributed with two wickets each, with Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav leading the charge following Mohammed Siraj’s crucial dismissal of Babar Azam.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, emphasized the importance of maintaining composure and not getting overly excited, recognizing that the World Cup is a lengthy campaign. Following three consecutive victories in their World Cup campaign, the Men in Blue are scheduled to face Bangladesh on Thursday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.