Agencies
New Delhi, March 16
India have played like true champions thus far in the on-going ICC World Cup as they topped their Pool (B) after the group stages, with six wins on the trot.
In all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding – the defending champions proved their mettle and are looking stronger than ever ahead of their quarter-finals clash against Bangladesh on Thursday at Melbourne Cricket Ground.MS Dhoni hasn't change their playing XI since the tournament started as he preferred going with the winning combination. While most of the players have delivered every now and then, two players in the squad – Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja – have struggled to prove a point in the marquee event taking place in Trans-Tasman nations.
Indian opener, Sharma, has only scored two half-centuries in the tournament and both of them came against minnows – Ireland and UAE. However, on most occasions he looked comfortable in the middle but failed to convert his starts. But as the tournament is heading towards it's business end, it would be crucial for him to play a big role up front.
Jadeja, who has been playing as an all-rounder, too is looking out of sorts. He not only failed to prove his worth as a spinner but also struggled to play some crucial cameos for the team.
In fact, during the group stages, skipper MS Dhoni warned the left hander to raise his game. “He needs to improve and needs to step up really. We have a lot of faith in him but at the end of the day you can’t really play with hope,” said Dhoni.
On the other end, when it comes to Sharma, Dhoni isn't looking that worried and defended the opener. “What is important is to see what kind of a start they have got. I feel Rohit has batted really well so far. He looks quite calm and composed, and at the same time he's playing the shots really well. That's something of a key factor,” stated the skipper.
Now India need three more wins to defend the title successfully but for that these two have to play a major role in those matches to make sure that they create history.
