My last post sounded a warning to India about their World Cup opener. I felt, like many cricket pundits that the opener was more than a banana skin for the pre-tournament favorites, India.
However, I hadn't counted on Virender Sehwag treating this game as a revenge game. If I had known that, I would have never been so naive to sound out my warning to India. Now, that apocryphal banana skin has been dumped where it belongs - in the dust bin. Bangladesh have been appropriately down-sized as far as their tournament aspirations are concerned. Its a long tournament and Bangladesh still look good to make the quarter finals at the expense of West Indies or even England.
India still proved that their major handicap in this tournament would be the lack of an out and out strike bowler up front with some pace! It is for this very reason that I do not see India as my favorite to go all the way. Yes, India will make the semis along with Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan are the dark horses in this tournament but they are too mercurial to make my principal semi final line-up.
I am going to hang my neck out and make a bold prediction - Australia will not make it to the finals. They will falter in the semis. I know this prediction may come back to haunt me but I just feel, the Australia batting no longer evokes fear and inevitability in their opponents. Moreover, Australia no longer have a Warne to win them games from hopeless situations (ala WC96 semi final and WC99 semi final). I will not overlook their loss to India in the warm up match - that loss was most un-Australian as losses go - even if it was only a warm up! The team that could lose such a match, even in practice, does not seem likely to go all the way.
The team with the best balance is undoubtedly, South Africa. However, the Proteas have often flattered to deceive but this time, with a good spin attack (Johan Botha and Imran Tahir), I reckon, the Proteas to be the favorite to win the cup.
My money for the bowler of the series is on Brett Lee while the batsman of the series is more open to debate. Amla could be the one or even Kallis. I do hope, SRT will play some more memorable innings as he has so often done in bygone world cups.
Undoubtedly, I want India and especially SRT to win the cup. I would give anything to see a World Cup medal adorning the neck of my favorite cricketer, SRT. However, the mind does not agree with heart - cold logic suggests that India are extremely batting heavy - they have the weakest new ball attack amongst all the test playing nations.
From a team balance perspective, I expect the Proteas to go all the way. However, cricket, like any other sport is not pure skill and silverware isn't amenable to sporting logic. The silverware ultimately rests on the shoulders of those that want it most. It is that unsatiable hunger for the ultimate prize that finally claims the prize. Based on the evidence of the opening game, the Indian team seems like one on a single minded mission - to correct the wrongs of the last two world cups.
Undoubtedly, every other team is equally driven to win the trophy, but the initial evidence suggests that India just want it a wee bit more!! Ultimately, I hope my heart triumphs over the mind and the sheer support of more than 1 billion hearts brings triumph to India in WC2011.
1 comment:
I chose to wait for a month before commenting so I could be more sure of my predictions. :)
Now that 50% of the semi finalists are known, let me stick my neck out and say that Sri Lanka and South Africa will be the other two semi finalists.
And as far as the finals go, I hope India qualify (if for no other reason than SRT). No predictions on who the last two will be or who the last team standing will be. Not yet, anyway.
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