Former cricket champions Gautam Gambhir and Shane Watson emphasised on the importance of defeating Australia for any team aspiring to lift the ODI World Cup trophy. As the Indian cricket team gears up for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, the spotlight turns to Australia's formidable track record and India's upcoming matches.
The Indian cricket team, currently standing proud as the No. 1 team across all formats, has a daunting task ahead. Despite their top position in the ICC charts, Gambhir asserted that these rankings mean little in the journey towards World Cup glory. The ultimate test, according to Gambhir, lies in besting Australia, given their commendable track record in ICC tournaments. With Australia's five ICC ODI World Cup wins, they naturally enter the fray as a team to beat.
During Star Sports' exclusive segment 'Mission World Cup', the 2011 World Cup victor Gambhir underscored the significance of overpowering Australia in the upcoming tournament. He elaborated, "Look, I have always said this, and there is no doubt in this, that if you want to win the World Cup, then you have to beat Australia. In 2007 when we won the World Cup, we defeated Australia in the semifinal. In 2011 when we won the World Cup, we beat Australia in the quarterfinal. Australia is the strongest team in any ICC tournament. Remove the ranking, the ranking does not matter."
In the pantheon of World Cup victories, while Australia leads with five trophies, India and the West Indies have each clinched it twice. Presently, England, the winners of the 2019 World Cup, hold the title.
Shedding light on Australia's prowess, Gambhir expressed, "You can be in any position in the rankings, but Australia, when it comes to those big tournaments, the World Cups, I think Australia has got the players, they have got the self-belief, Australia has the ability to play those big moments really well. So beating Australia is very, very important."
Shane Watson, the former Australian batter, provided insights on potential finalists for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. He confidently backed Australia, while also acknowledging the caliber of the Indian team. Watson stated, "Definitely going to back Australia with the calibre of players they have. They have got a few question marks going into this World Cup, for sure, with a few positions and some injuries they have had, but the players they have got, certainly know how to step up in these big games. And India, being at home, they'd know the conditions better than anyone, their bowlers are obviously on fire at the moment, with their quicks and also Kuldeep Yadav who is only getting better and better. So India with their firepower, especially with their top order in particular, certainly can go all the way. So for me, Australia and India would be an incredible final."
As preparations intensify, India's last series before the World Cup will be against Australia, commencing with the first ODI on Friday. Following this, India is slated to engage in warm-up matches against England (September 30) and the Netherlands (October 3). The much-anticipated World Cup journey for the Indian team kicks off on October 8, where they square off against the Aussies in Chennai. This match, in essence, will set the tone for their campaign, mirroring the sentiments echoed by cricketing legends like Gambhir and Watson.
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