One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist or astrophysicist to conclude which two teams have been the most dominant in the ongoing World Cup.
India have been unbeatable, cruising in all their seven games so far, while South Africa too have looked good except for that one hiccup against the Netherlands. The two sides, clashing at the Eden on Sunday, are being tipped as the two finalists although the Indian camp doesn’t wish to read much into such predictions.
“We’re not really worried about what many are saying,” head coach Rahul Dravid said at the pre-match news conference on Saturday.
“We are focused on this game. What happens from hereon is still two or three games remaining. And for both the teams, whether it’s us or South Africa, we still need to earn the right to be there in Ahmedabad (for the final on November 19),” Dravid said.
India head coach Rahul Dravid at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Sanat Kumar Sinha
Though India have the “wrong-footed, inswinging menace” — as Virat Kohli was referred to by Dravid (obviously in a light-hearted manner) — as “an option to call upon”, all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s absence does mean no sixth-bowling option, something even South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma had pointed out earlier in the day.
“He (Bavuma) just said the facts. The fact is that we’ll not be in a position to have a proper sixth option,” Dravid said.
“Obviously, the sixth option is something that Hardik gave us. But we have been playing the last four games without the sixth-bowling option and have responded really well to that challenge.
“We’ve played enough games without having it. And we seem to have done pretty well.”
CAB’s plans
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) had earlier made some grand plans for Sunday’s big-ticket clash, which is also India’s only second ODI World Cup appearance at the Eden. But all those plans were rejected by the International Cricket Council.
However, the state association is preparing for a show with the help of the Eden floodlights, which was trialled late in the evening after Team India’s departure following their optional training session. A display of some fireworks is also expected at the mid-innings break along with the light-and-sound show.
