It made for a captivating view from a distance.
As the Indian team bus made its way into the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium winding through the dust-tormented last kilometre, the groundstaff were seen preparing to cover the wicket since dusk had almost set in.
Without battling an eyelid, Rahul Dravid sprinted to have a final close look with Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin in tow. While the head coach conversed with the curator, Ashwin almost lay prostrate on the pitch trying to get a feel of the surface. It was also perhaps an indication of India’s strategy against England on Sunday.
A semi-final berth is almost assured but Team India are not willing to leave anything to chance against a side on the brink of elimination. It reflected in KL Rahul’s words too.
“We don’t want to take any opposition lightly. Any team on a given day can be dangerous... No team starts off as favourites... So, it’s important that we keep focusing on our strengths,” Rahul said.
The World Cup finally seems to have got the adrenaline it needs to stay relevant. As it approaches the business end, the scurry for the last four spots is getting intense.
A day after South Africa made it known that they meant business in this edition, trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand played out a close encounter which went to the last ball.
Not just that, the anticipation surrounding yet another Virat Kohli century is growing. One more hundred will put him on par with Sachin Tendulkar’s total of 49 tons in ODIs. Kohli missed it by a mere five runs in Dharamsala following his century No. 48 in Pune against Bangladesh.
Will he get it here or on Tendulkar’s home turf at the Wankhede against Sri Lanka on Thursday? Or will the Eden be witness to the feat on November 5 against South Africa? Only time will tell.
For Sunday’s game, the grass has been trimmed on the Lucknow wicket though it wouldn’t have any impact on the bounce and carry.
Ashwin will be preferred considering England’s vulnerability against spin and the dry conditions. This means Mohammed Siraj might have to sit out. A five-wicket haul against New Zealand has almost confirmed Mohammed Shami’s place but the final call lies with Rohit.
India have won all their matches chasing targets and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bat first if Rohit wins the toss since it would set them up nicely for the knockouts.