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Batting Or Bowling; What Should India Do First Vs NZ? Sunil Gavaskar Answers

image-loyecj2qMohammad Shami Celebrating With His Teammates (Source: AP Photo)

A few hours before the epic India vs New Zealand clash in the semi-finals of the World Cup 2023, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has made some strong remarks regarding his country's fortune in the high-voltage match. 

Speaking on Star Sports' show 'Game Plan', Gavaskar has called the toss to be a non-crucial factor, mentioning that whether India bowls first or second, it does not matter considering the bowling department has done a top-notch job so far in both the innings. 

However, he still reckons that team bowling second will have an advantage, considering the bowl moves quite a lot alongside travelling quicker than usual during the second part of the game in Wankhede.

"Well, if you have got a good bowling attack like India have, it does not really matter if they are bowling first or bowling second. Clearly, if they are bowling second, it will help because we have seen under a little bit of dew that comes in, the ball flies to the wicketkeeper a little bit quicker," said Gavaskar. 

He further added that India's bowling line-up consists of some quality pacers in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami, with all three of them capable of doing different things with the ball. 

Moreover, he explained the importance of spinner Kuldeep Yadav, speaking about the fact that the ball will skid more if India chooses to bowl second; therefore, defending the target will be easier in comparison.

"So, it certainly will help the three new ball bowlers in the Indian line-up for sure, and it also helps a spinner like Kuldeep Yadav to get the ball to skid out of the surface also quicker. So yes, if India is defending a total bowling second, I do believe that will help also because there is scoreboard pressure, you might not be able to get 400 but 260 or 270, that will put pressure on New Zealand," he added. 

Men in Blue will seek revenge for the Manchester 2019 loss against the same opposition where they couldn't seal the game in the final stages. 

Gavaskar suggested that skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been the fourth-highest run scorer in the mega-event after the conclusion of the group stage with 503 runs to his name, will stick to his original style of play, which is to attack the opposition early on in the innings and ensure that his side gets off to an electric start.

"Well, I do not think Rohit Sharma is going to change his game because that's how he has played throughout this tournament. He has not been bothered about any personal landmarks or milestones. He is looking to get the team up to a flying start because what that does, puts the opposition under pressure and gives his team the platform from where they can then capitalize on the remaining 40 overs," the legend concluded. 

India and New Zealand are at par regarding their team strength and quality, which will be displayed when they meet on 15th November with a lot at stake.