The Netherlands will be the first to get a taste of what this team is capable of, playing India at the Sydney Cricket Ground today. After extraordinary scenes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of 90,293 shouting fans, things will be dialed down a few notches for the second game.
But, India will know that they have won only one match and there is a long way to go. You can’t take anything for granted in this format and even within the tournament, as South Africa found out, raining a point sharing with Zimbabwe after only three overs of the second innings was.
While the team had an optional net session on Tuesday, the day before the match was quiet. It was time to regroup, take a breath, and prepare physically and mentally to go deeper into the tournament.
Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey addressed the media and clarified that there were no injury concerns in the team and it was not the idea to rest any player at this time. He didn’t say much, but maybe the time will come for him later, when India have made it to the last four.
However, Mhambrey conceded that it was helpful to stop Pakistan’s match at the earliest. He said, ‘We have always been talking about that in a tournament like this, every match is important. Yes, we knew what the hype would be around the first game. It was always going to be a high-intensity big conflict,” Mambre said. “But having this kind of game in the first leg and gathering dust is good in itself. Had this match (Pakistan) been the third or fourth match, it could have had an impact on other games as well.
“Every team has worked in their own way to get here, so every match from now on is important for us. We will focus on whichever team we are coming up against and take it one day at a time.” After India’s win against Pakistan, there was sentiment all around, and it is reported that head coach Rahul Dravid had a word with the players, asking them to enjoy and celebrate the moment, but it was very was not far off as it was only the beginning of his campaign.
The challenge for India against the Netherlands in the first match will be the opposite. There it was about living in the moment, not getting carried away by the hype and outside noise that inevitably comes with India-Pakistan matches. The challenge will be to maintain the intensity on Thursday. Instead of worrying about what the opposition is thinking, India will look inwards, focusing on its game. Whether they bat first or bowl first, India will look hard against the opposition
They may not be bowling as fast as Pakistan or bowling to skilled batsmen like Babar Azam, but India still need to bring their A-game to the park. Successful campaigns are built on putting together victories, gaining momentum, and peaking at just the right time.
Rohit Sharma admitted that it was in the minds of the players that India had not won the International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy in nine years. If this is to change now, there can be no loss in intensity, there is no looking back and India should not miss any chance.
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