India’s massive win over Bermuda will make the team feel fighting fit to take on the Sri Lankans, for the game that could well decide who goes into the next stage. If Lanka do beat Bangladesh, then they will be under less pressure than India and will have to ensure that if they lose to India, the margin of defeat is not too great, so that they can go through on the net run-rate.
So not only is the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match crucial, but also the last group game between Bermuda and Bangladesh. The Bangladeshis will have the benefit of going into that game with the knowledge of exactly how many runs they need to better the net run-rate of Sri Lanka and India, and so they can plan accordingly.
India did well not to look a gift horse in the mouth when Bermuda’s captain bafflingly opted to field first after winning the toss. That also allowed the out-of-form player and India’s main worry Virender Sehwag to get valuable runs under his belt, and feel a lot better for the big clash against the Lankans on Friday.
The Bermuda attack was such that ”Geoffrey’s mum” could have also got runs against them, but in cricket, we all know that the lesser the challenge, greater were the chances of a batsman getting careless and getting out. After all, it takes just one mistake for the batsman to be back in the pavilion. To his credit, Sehwag did not fall for that and instead concentrated on getting the ball away along the ground than in the air till he was set and on his way. By the time he got past 50, he was hitting the ball sweetly and there was nothing the Bermudans could do to stop him. Not that there was anything they could have done to stop the others either, as batsman after batsman came in and got some useful batting practice out in the middle.
The one to miss out was Uthappa, who was caught brilliantly by perhaps the heaviest man to play at this level, and maybe because of that catch, the skipper kept giving him the ball even when he was getting clobbered all over the ground by Sehwag, Ganguly, Yuvraj and Tendulkar.
India’s bowling was efficient in dismissing the Bermudans, though they took more overs than the Lankans to get them all out. It was a clinical performance by the Indians, and the only thing they need to look at and tighten is the extras in the form of wides and no-balls. The wides down the leg-side are sometimes inevitable, but it is the wides on the off-side that they have to control and they simply have to avoid giving extra runs and deliveries to the opposition by not bowling any no-balls.
India have picked themselves nicely off the floor after their shock loss to Bangladesh and have shown a great deal of character doing so. They have to show the same determination and commitment in the next game and win it, after which they could well be on a roll and hard to stop. I am still extremely optimistic that this Indian team will go all the way and lift the cup.
