Image Credit- ICC
The unstoppable force comes first. The fact that India
is winning the World Cup is unrelated to the reality that they are experiencing
the World Cup of their dreams. That’s only an outcome of their preparation for
the competition. They needed more when 2019 was over. Thus, they set out on a
mission, attempting up to 50 distinct players over the course of four years and
66 games. Six months after the grand finale, they knew exactly who they wanted
and were concentrating on honing their craft. They selected all of their XIs
from a set of 24 for the 15 ODIs that took place between March and October of
2023.
When asked about the absence of ICC trophies since
2013, Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli have frequently cited a
track record of consistent performance. The progress this team has made—the
freedom they bat with, the discipline they bowl with, the faith they have in
their technique and themselves, the joy they have spread—feel historic, whether
or not the drought ends in a week.
And now for the shape-shifting thing. New Zealand
evolved into the winning team. The opener they bought in the run-up to the
World Cup has to warm the bench since Rachin Ravindra started amassing
mountains of runs in the top order. Glenn Phillips has become almost an
all-rounder thanks to their transformation; during this tournament, he has
bowled twice as many overs as he had in his ODI career. They have addressed
important staff injuries. The one after they scored 401 against Pakistan, or
the close-run defeat against Australia, didn’t derail them. They show up. They
exert every effort. After that, they accept whatever has happened. This
explains why they excel in high-pressure games like the one that took place on
July 14, 2019.
Expect a cagey start. Each team trying ever so hard
not to make the first mistake, trying not so much to beat the opposition as
outlasting them. New Zealand are masters at this art; at just staying in the
game long enough until there is an opening to burst through.
The man who makes India invincible is Jasprit Bumrah.
They were a disaster without him at the T20 World Cup the previous year.
Despite a major batting error, they hammered the team who had thrown them out
in Australia with him. In the first ten overs, 175 of his 228 deliveries—nearly
80%—are dots. He always returns in the middle overs because, if he can get a
wicket at that point, a new batsman will have to contend with the possibility
of making those vital runs quickly against Bumrah, who really does come to life
at the end of the game with his yorkers and slower balls.
Bowling under the lights will be New Zealand’s
greatest chance of winning. After sundown in Mumbai, the new ball has moved
substantially, and the only way to destroy an opposition, especially one with
so many safety nets, is to take early wickets. Despite the fact that Trent
Boult hasn’t always had the best circumstances at this World Cup, he will
undoubtedly seize the chance to target Rohit, Kohli, Shreyas, and Rahul’s
stumps and pads. He will also be motivated by a strong sense of unfulfilled
business, even if he must bowl in the heat.