Indian World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh believes that India are on the right track to winning the ODI World Cup 2023 on home soil and downplayed comparisons of the present Indian team to the formidable Australian teams of the 2000s after the team hammering South Africa side by 243 runs.
The Men in Blue has won all eight matches in the tournament while demonstrating their ruthlessness with both bat and the ball giving no real chance for the opponents at any game. For the third time in a row, India is guaranteed to top the ODI World Cup 2023 points table in the 50-over competition and would be keen to continue their fine form going forward.
Speaking to India Today, Harbhajan Singh was asked if the current Indian team was any different from the formidable Australian team of the 2000s.
He thinks that Australia has been a fantastic team over the years, winning World Cups after World Cups and overwhelming their opponents. He also thinks that India is poised to do something special in the home World Cup and hopes that the players will continue to play well in the major tournament.
“See, that Australian team was a very, very good side, the top side which showed in their performance. They didn’t lose a single game in that particular year. Also, in the previous year as well.
“They won 3 consecutive World Cups. Team India as well, they are on the same path, if you look from the top to the bottom, you will see match-winners. People have won games on their own for India,” Harbhajan Singh said.
“I hope this will continue, I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hope they don’t have a bad game when it requires, you want everyone to put everything online. We don’t want to put any nazar (evil eye).
“They look like a very aggressive bunch of guys when it comes to batting and bowling. It actually makes us feel very proud. Bowlers are winning games, I am very happy,” Harbhajan Singh added.
India has tied their record of winning the most World Cup games (8). They destroyed South Africa in Eden Gardens, just days after bowling Sri Lanka out for just 55 runs and Rohit Sharma-led side also made history by being the second team to bowl opponents out for less than 100 twice in a single World Cup.
The Team Like This Is Very Hard To Stop If They Play For Each Other – Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa feels that the Indian team has overcome the odds in the last six to eight months to come good in the ongoing World Cup. He also stated that the team has players who can beat any team in the world if they play to their full potential in the major tournament, and he thinks that if they stick together, it will be difficult for any team to stop them.
“Indian team were going through a lot of injuries six to eight months back and they were a lot of doubts but we also we knew when these guys are picked and played to their potentially there are world-beating side and that’s what was experienced through this tournament and the team like this is very hard to stop if they play for each other and they are playing together as a unit,” Robin Uthappa said.
Many fireworks were expected for the top-of-the-table match at Eden Gardens, which was considered to be India’s real test before they advanced to the semifinal. However, India dominated another lopsided match in which South Africa displayed complete incompetence in the face of the Indian attack.