IND vs AUS: Australia Has The Ability To Play Those Big Moments – Gautam Gambhir Highlights The Importance Of Defeating Australia In The World Cup
Sep 23, 2023 at 10:48 AM
Indian World Cup Winner Gautam Gambhir feels that the Indian team needs to win against Australia if they want to win the ODI World Cup in India. The Men in Blue will wrap up their preparation for the marquee with a series against Australia on home soil.
Team India will be one of the favourites to win the World Championship in India, as they have a formidable unit to perform well in home conditions, and the Rohit Sharma-led side will be high on confidence after ticking all the boxes and securing a thumping win over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final.
During a discussion with Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir emphasized the significance of defeating Australia in the World Cup by recalling the Men in Blue’s victories in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments, which ultimately assisted the Indian team in winning the trophy. He also claimed that Australia is a strong team in the ICC events because they have players who can perform under pressure in big games.
“Look, I have always said this, and there is no doubt 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, ranking does not matter. 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,” Gautam Gambhir said.
Australia is one of the most successful teams in the 50-over World Cup winning five championship titles including the 2015 championship in their home soil. Pat Cummins-led side has got experienced players in their side, who have ample amount of experience playing in Indian conditions and they will walk in as one of the favourites into the tournament.
Beating Australia Is Very, Very Important – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir feels that India’s opening game against Australia is the most important game for the Men in Blue in the ODI World Cup and wants the Rohit Sharma-led side to start the tournament well, which would set the tone for the team going into the mega event in India.
“I believe that if we have to win the World Cup this year, Australia is going to be the most important game, and we start against Australia, so there is nothing better than that. So beating Australia is very, very important,” Gautam Gambhir added.
The hosts will begin their campaign with a mouthwatering clash against five-time world champions Australia in Chennai. The match is scheduled to take place on October 8 in Chennai.
