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Anticipation runs high as Australia and India are set to clash in a crucial three-match ODI series, setting the stage for the World Cup. Former Indian star, Suresh Raina, sheds light on what to expect from this encounter, hinting at Australia's slight edge due to their adeptness with Indian pitches and versatile batting lineup.
India, gearing up for a grand face-off against hosts Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup finale, are simultaneously preparing for a head-to-head against Australia, which is a precursor to their World Cup duel slated for October 8 in Chennai.
"They (Australia) have a lot of left-right combinations in the batting order. The Indore ground is very small, and Rajkot has a flat track. Also, the Australian side has played a lot in Mohali and hence I believe they will have an upper hand," opined Raina in his chat with JioCinema.
The stage is set with the series commencing in Mohali on September 22, advancing to Indore by September 24, and culminating in Rajkot on September 27.
Raina, reflecting on the nature of the grounds, speculated, "In these small grounds, even scores of 340-350 will be chaseable and the Indian team will need to play a very strong bowling lineup to defend any sort of total in the World Cup.” As a veteran of the 2011 World Cup triumph, Raina downplays the significance of a clean sweep in either direction. Instead, he stresses the series' role as a testing ground for strategies and to identify pivotal players.
"More than the result, whether it is a win by 3-0 or losing 3-0, I think what is more important is for the team to go through as many tests as possible because the only thing that matters is the World Cup," emphasised Raina. He added, "Also, what matters is which players you believe in because, during the World Cup, situations will arise where you'll have to plan accordingly."
Delving into his predictions for the series, Raina foresees a dominant batting performance from Rohit Sharma. “Rohit Sharma will score the most runs during the series. In terms of wickets, Josh Hazlewood will be the pick of the bowlers from Australia. For India, it will be either Mohammed Shami or Kuldeep Yadav.”
On the bowling front, he places his bets on Josh Hazlewood for Australia, while rooting for either Mohammed Shami or Kuldeep Yadav from the Indian side.
Shifting the spotlight to the potential game-changer, Raina enthused about Shardul Thakur, terming him the "X-factor". "Shardul needs to bowl now like Zaheer Khan did in the 2011 World Cup with his knuckleball or how Yuvraj Singh came out to win Player of the Tournament and how Dhoni went and batted in the Final. For me, Shardul Thakur will be the X-factor." “Every player has a different character. I want if a tough situation arises and the captain has to choose, I want all 11 players to raise their hand and say, ‘Let me do the job for the country,” the southpaw concluded.
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