Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad feels Saturday’s encounter against Sri Lanka won’t be a mere dead rubber. India has already sealed a place in the semi-finals while Sri Lanka are out of the reckoning. But as per the ex-paceman, the men in blue would like to enter the last four on a winning note.
India to play England in semis
As we head towards the business end of the tournament, one thing is clear, this edition of the quadrennial extravaganza has been about survival of the fittest. In terms of results, there haven’t been too many surprises and the four most consistent teams have made it to the semi-finals. Talking about the knock-outs, it could be anybody’s game. In that context, the two matches today, which have understandably been dubbed dead rubbers, will be key matches for the top two teams- Australia and India. “Prasad wrote in his column for Times of India.
He also said that the selectors should rest the likes of MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the all-important semis. Bumrah, who has been the pick of the bowlers of India, has played all the league games. He will play a key role against England in the knock-out encounter and therefore keeping him fresh will be vital.
On the other hand, it would also provide an opportunity for the other seamers to have a go at the Lankan batters and polish their act. According to Prasad, Ravindra Jadeja should get a look in as he is yet to play a game in this edition of the World Cup. India must go with three pace-attack of Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya.
India have lost just one game and it was against the hosts. With the top-order in form and the middle-order looking reliable, Virat Kohli’s men would fancy their chances of reaching the finals for the fourth time in the history of the World Cup.