CHENNAI: The stadium is set. The players are ready. The prayers have begun. India, after a remarkable feat, has reached the finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. All eyes and hopes are on the Men in Blue to lift the cup. Ahead of the grand finale, cricket lovers across the country share their thoughts about India’s game, and their wishes for the team with CE.
Sahil Hussain, Student
Team India brought their A-game from scratch. Every match, there have been multiple players who have stood up with determination, coupled with an abnormal level of brilliant skill set, contributing comfortable wins for us. Aussies are against us again in the World Cup finals 20 years after the 2003 Cricket World Cup upset. We have a score to settle. There is nothing better than an unbeaten World Cup winning streak to sum it all up for a billion Indians. Mohammaed Shami gave us a nostalgic feeling of watching Zaheer Khan take crucial wickets at regular intervals in the 2011 CWC. Another great moment is undoubtedly Virat Kohli’s milestone 50th ODI century.
Rajagopal T, Former SC Railway cricketer
It looks like a repeat of the 1983 World Cup, when Kapil Dev played a fantastic knock from the brink of defeat and India went on to win. Similarly, Maxwell’s unbelievable knock brought Australia to the finals. As per that analogy, it feels that the Australians have a chance. But with the all-round performance being exhibited by the Indian team, I feel India should take the cup. It’s going to be a great match.
CS Amudhan, Director
It was such a sight to watch Indian bowlers not only take wickets but also intimidate the batsmen of the opposing team. Every single player brought their A-game and didn’t let their guard down even for a minute. My favourite moment is undoubtedly Shami’s comeback in the third match. Siraj was getting more precedence because of his Asia Cup performance. No matter how good or bad the Australians are at other matches, they are one step ahead when it comes to the World Cup. India has to tackle this and win. I would say they have a 50-50 chance, but India might have the home-ground advantage.
Sahibnoor Singh Chahal, Student
Having won 10 games in a row, beating every team in the league stage and then New Zealand in the semi finals, shy of just one more victory to claim the world title once again, Team India is surely a force to reckon with. With the kind of performances all our players have given; Rohit’s explosive opening knocks, Virat’s consistency, KL’s brilliant keeping, Jadeja’s mind blowing fielding, Bumrah’s death overs and Shami blitzing his way through batting line ups to take 23 wickets in just six games, this team has solidified itself as one of the most dominating teams in the history of this sport. It has been nothing less than a dream run, and dreams shall always have a happy ending.
Malina Barhana, Pharmacist
India has been playing well in this World Cup. They’ve got good batsmen as well as bowlers. The team looks strong and has a good chance to win. My favourite moment was when Shami took seven wickets in the semi-final. It was amazing to watch him bowl so well and help the team. Another great moment was, of course, when Kohli scored his 50th century. The final match is going to be super exciting, India and Australia will play, and it’s going to be a big fight.
Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Actor
Usually, when India plays, there is a small fear. But this time, every batsman has fulfilled their roles perfectly. We have an amazing bowling attack. The three pacers — Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, have each others’ backs. I was distraught when Sachin got out in the 2011 World Cup. Later, Dhoni restored our faith and the team lifted the cup after 28 years. As a fellow cricketer, I have great expectations from India to win.
VK Ramaswamy, Former international umpire
India has been playing vintage cricket this World Cup winning all the matches as the top order is firing all the cylinders. Our bowling has improved by leaps and bounds; there’s compulsion to perform in view of our bench strength. Even when chips were down India did not panic and came back strongly. The only thought is why not include Ashwin in place of Suryakumar Yadav (who hardly got a chance) after seeing the Aussies’ discomfort against spinners.
Sreedhar Tirumalasetty, Former Andhra Ranji trophy player
India is at its peak when you talk about its batting. Its climb started when we were three wickets down for only two runs against five times champion Australia and made a great recovery. From then on we never looked back. But you don’t need a sixth batsman. I strongly feel that Ashwin should strengthen the spin department.
MD Thirushkamini, India cricketer
India has been extremely commendable throughout the tournament, sheer domination. It’s so good to see how every single player has understood their role and are performing to their best ability. With the kind of cricket on display, I’m confident of seeing India winning the World Cup. There have been quite a few great moments in the journey, but my pick is Virat’s century in the semi finals.
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Actor
I am extremely happy that India has qualified for the World Cup finals. Their performance in the semi-final match was excellent. I am not supporting India only because of my patriotism, but also for their hard work and dedication. My favourite World Cup moment has to be when Virat Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 50 centuries, with man himself (Sachin) present at the stadium and Virat bowed down to him.
Inputs by: Anusha Sundar, Anushree Madhavan, Diya Maria George, Gomesh S, Jayabhuvaneshwari B, Narayani M, Sreelakshmi S Nair, Triya Gulati