Make capital
Virat, Rohit need to come to party in the opener against Pakistan THE MAIN MEN FACEOFFS
Virat Kohli looked in sparkling touch, except on two occasions when he immediately realised he had gone too far and cursed himself. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, who was a part of all five World Cup victories over Pakistan, collecting three Manof-the-Match awards, the top order batting is heavily dependent on the form of India’s new Test skipper.
India will breathe a sigh of relief if Virat, who was in stupendous form in the five-day matches but then had a quiet one-day series, gets back among runs. Hopefully, the spa and meditation sessions here would have helped rejuvenate him. After all, of his 21 ODI centuries, 19 have resulted in victories.
CONSISTENCY COUNTS
The other man on whom a lot depends is Rohit Sharma. He has failed to live up to his talent time and again but on occasions he has delivered, India have thrived and enjoyed the experience. The only man to score two one-day double hundreds has been erratic. He has come back from injury and scored 150, although against Afghanistan in the warm-up. Shikhar Dhawan’s dodgy form though remains a concern. Team director Ravi Shastri felt the left and right opening combination will be favoured while picking the 11.
“Kal dhang se khelna, izzat ka sawal hai” (play properly tomorrow, it’s a matter of pride), a middle-aged Indian supporter shouted to Virat as he was leaving the training area. He has come from India and will follow the team till Perth. He is part of a huge group of travelling fans who have landed Down Under for the spectacle.
South Australia authorities were quick to realise the windfall a match like this can bring to the state. So, instead of bidding to host an Australia match in the group stages, they gambled on the sub-continental derby. They have no regrets about the decision yet.
The Fringe Festival, a monthlong event that features artists from across the world which kicked off on Saturday, has livened up the streets of the city. The Super Sunday of world cricket promises to be the icing on that festive mood.