New Delhi, 2nd July 2023: With the ODI World Cup 2023 just around the corner, cricket enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the start of this prestigious tournament. The International Cricket Council recently unveiled the fixture for the event, which is scheduled to begin on October 5th with an exciting encounter between England and New Zealand, the finalists from the previous edition, in Ahmedabad. India, the host nation, will kickstart their campaign against the five-time champions, Australia, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
In light of this, legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his belief that facing Australia early on in the tournament could prove advantageous for the Indian team. During a recent interview on Star Sports, the former Indian captain highlighted that even in the event of a loss in their opening match, the hosts would still have ample opportunities to stage a comeback.
Gavaskar emphasized the advantage of playing against a strong team like Australia in the initial stages of a competition. He pointed out that it would have been even more challenging if the match against Australia was a must-win encounter in the later stages. “I believe it is always beneficial to face strong teams first,” he said. “In case you don’t achieve a favorable result, you have subsequent chances. Additionally, if you play against weaker teams later on, you gain valuable insights into how to approach those matches and the required margin of victory.”
Drawing upon India’s victorious journey in the 1983 World Cup, Gavaskar recalled the team’s surprising triumph over defending champions West Indies in their opening match. He emphasized that defeating a formidable team at the start of the tournament significantly boosts the confidence of the side.
“Our inaugural game took place in 1983 against the West Indies, who were the reigning champions at the time. Despite the match being disrupted by rain and completed the next day, we emerged victorious. This victory was pivotal in enhancing our self-confidence as our previous World Cup performances were not noteworthy. We had not won a single match until then,” Gavaskar recollected.
India’s World Cup campaign will see them play matches at nine out of the ten venues across the country, culminating with their final fixture against a qualifier on November 11th.
