CHENNAI: Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath is no stranger to World Cup wins, having helped his side register many noteworthy victories during his playing career. Ahead of the all-important semifinals of the ongoing T20 World Cup, the 'Pigeon', as he is affectionately known, felt India and South Africa have a strong chance of reaching the final. However, the three-time ODI World Cup winner said that India's only area of concern is their sixth bowler.
"The sixth bowler is very vital for a team. When one or two of your main bowlers go for runs, then you need an option. The sixth bowler will come in handy. Dube (Shivam) went for runs against Zimbabwe. So this is an area that India has to fix quickly," McGrath told this daily after a video analysis session at the MRF Pace Foundation here, where he is on his annual visit as director of coaching.
New Zealand will face South Africa in the first semifinal at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday while India take on England at Wankhede in Mumbai on Thursday. He praised India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and felt that the toss will be crucial during the upcoming games. "In a knock-out game, the pressure is very high. One has to make the right decision. If the wicket is good and you have a lot of depth in your ranks, you can opt to bat and try to bat out the opposition by posting a good total. But if the wicket has something for the bowlers and if dew is going to be a factor, it is better to bowl first and chase down the target. But all said and done it all boils down to the confidence the captain has in the ability of his players."
Sanju Samson played a blinder of an innings to help India reach this stage. Fellow opener Abhishek Sharma, who missed out against the West Indies, also has all the tools to tear apart bowlers in powerplay. Mcgrath felt if India play to their potential, then it could be a tough night for England.
"India have got an ideal opening pair in Sanju and Abhishek. Sanju showed what he can do last night (Sunday) with the way he paced his innings once he got in. The ability and potential is there. So in the knockout matches it comes down to the game, a team that doesn't go out and perform, you don't go to the next round. I think if India go out there and play as they have in this tournament, they should go through," McGrath said.
Hardik Pandya, who hit a vital half-century in a must-win game against Zimbabwe, is another player who could take the game away from opposition. McGrath felt the all-rounder should be allowed to express himself. "You see, the Australian team had big personalities. As soon as we walked on the field, everyone came together as one team even Warnie (Shane Warne), Adam Gilchrist, Ricky (Ponting)... all the boys we came together as one team. Hardik is a quality player, an all-rounder, he loves the attention. He wants to be the guy that wins, hits the sixes. So sometimes, with players like that, you just have to let them go and, you know, someone like Andrew Flintoff you didn't really want him to be captain, you just wanted him to play. Kevin Pietersen was another guy maybe," opined McGrath.
McGrath was arguably the best bowler during his prime and has accounted for many big wickets. Jasprit Bumrah, who took two vital wickets against the West Indies, has been India's go-to pacer over the years. McGrath is expecting the Indian pacer to leave a big impression.
"Bumrah is a big game player, he's cool, but sometimes he bowls full tosses. But in the big games, these players lift the quality of their game. They really love those big big moments, big games. Arshdeep (Singh) has been probably the pick of India's bowlers at the moment. But I've got total faith in Bumrah in the knockout game," said McGrath, who felt that Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood are the best T20 bowlers in the world.
