India vs Australia, Final: Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri
Chennai:
World Cup Final: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Friday said the hosts will be strong contenders in the upcoming World Cup final against Australia and should stick to their strategy. Speaking on India’s plans for the finals during an event in the city, Shastri said there was no need to do anything different. Shastri agreed, ‘I think it will ease up’. They are playing at home ground and this is a very experienced team. And they don’t need to do anything different.’ The former head coach said, ‘The way they have played, the way they played in the last match. With this, they will soon hold the World Cup 2023 in their hands.
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He said, ‘India will win the World Cup. He will start as a strong contender in the finals. It is very well played. Despite defeating Australia in the league stage, India will be under pressure against the five-time world champions given their impressive record in ICC finals. But Shastri believes that if the Indian team stays patient and manages to handle the pressure, they can prove to be winners.
He said, ‘He needs to stay calm and composed and deal with the pressure. This is the final match, so only you (India) should not be so enthusiastic. Shastri said, ‘You (India) know your role and the best thing about this team is that it doesn’t depend on one or two players. Eight or nine players are doing well after the match, so this is a good sign.
The former Indian all-rounder also praised the superb performance of in-form fast bowler Mohammad Shami in the tournament, who leads the bowling table with 23 wickets. This includes taking seven wickets in the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai. He believes that Shami will play an important role in the final to be held in Ahmedabad on Sunday. He said, ‘If Shami bowls the first ball, I will say ‘good luck’ to the batsmen. His seam bowling and the way the ball falls is fantastic. He has consistently bowled decent lengths in this World Cup. Shastri said, ‘He used to trouble the batsmen with his skill in Mumbai, I would say this is the best bowling attack of India. It’s amazing when you see the variety and skill.