London: Former Australia captain Allan Border feels India, despite having some vulnerabilities in its squad for the ongoing World Cup, will prove to be a big stumbling block for Aaron Finch and boys when the two teams meet on Sunday at the Kensington Oval.
India started off its World Cup campaign on a successful note, registering a reaffirming win over the Proteas in Southampton.
Asked to bowl, the Men in Blue came out with a brilliant bowling performance and restricted the Proteas to 227. During the chase, opener Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten century and helped them cross the line with six wickets in hand.
Border, in his ICC column, said: “I think they got out of jail a little bit the other day; the South Africans played pretty well but they are just not scoring enough runs, and then Rohit Sharma kept it all together for the Indians.”
“India have got some vulnerabilities, but they also have some world-class performers in Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and the rest — it’s a pretty handy side!” he added.
Assistant coach Ricky Ponting believes India could consider drafting in another fast bowler for its clash against Australia on Sunday after seeing the reigning champions’ top order flattened by a hostile West Indies pace onslaught at Trent Bridge.
Ponting suggested the Aussies’ early wobble in its tight 15-run win over a volatile Windies side could be a necessary wake-up call ahead of its clash with world No 2 ranked India at The Oval.
The three-time World Cup-winner, brought in by coach Justin Langer to work with Australia’s batters during the tournament, said he’ll seek answers from players like Usman Khawaja and Glenn Maxwell on coping with the short ball after their dismissals saw Australia slump to 4-38 in the first half-hour of the game.
Having been hit by Andre Russell in a warm-up game last month, Khawaja was again struck on the helmet early Thursday, before backing away in uncharacteristic fashion and edging a flailing cover drive.
“I’ve got some notes written in my book about that exact thing,” Ponting said. “I just want to know what’s going through his mind.”