Veteran Indian stumper Dinesh Karthik made a bold claim that Rohit Sharma-led India is the ‘strongest team that India has had in ODIs’. At present, Rohit & Co. are having a dream run in the ongoing ten-team home ODI World Cup with eight wins on the trot. Ahead of their last league game, versus the Netherlands on Sunday (Nov 12) in Bengaluru, Karthik heaped praise on the current ODI team and made a huge statement.
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Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said, “I’m going out on a limb to say this but this Indian team is probably the strongest team that India has ever had in ODIs. In World Cups for sure. There’s no Indian team that has dominated like this current 2023 team. You have to pit it against other Indian teams which have done very well but it will run other teams very close to it being the greatest ODI team ever in terms of performances and pressure.”
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So far in the ODI WC, India have beaten the likes of five-time champions Australia, Afghanistan, arch-rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and South Africa and will look to make it nine wins in a row to end the league stage and enter the semi-finals on a high. They have clicked in every department and weathered all storms, battling injuries etc., to keep going forward.
The home side are most likely to face New Zealand in the first semi-final, in Mumbai, on Wednesday (Nov 15) with Australia and South Africa facing each other in the second semi-final a day after, in Kolkata. Only Pakistan have an outside chance to topple the Kiwis and enter the semis, but that is highly unlikely.
Opening up on a possible semi-final versus New Zealand, Karthik spoke on the conditions and India’s probable XI which will take the field at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. In this regard, he said, “It’s in Mumbai, the first big decision, if they win the toss, will be if they would bat first or bowl first because there will be dew but then they will have to get past that first spell. The first 10 overs the ball swings and moves. There’s no question what the level is going to be till the finals. It’s going to be the same XI. Every player has ticked the box and is looking good for the semis.”
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