The highly anticipated Super 8 match between India and Australia in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will take place on June 24 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia at 8 p.m. IST. This match is crucial for India, as a win will keep their unbeaten streak and potentially knock Australia out of the tournament, offering a chance for revenge after Australia's victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
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00:00Hello everyone, you're watching Pitch Battle. I'm your host Indranil. Tonight we have India
00:09versus Australia. You know what sort of damage Australians have done to us in the last couple
00:15of years. Not couple of years, within one year. Last June, they completely destroyed
00:25us in that World Test Championship final. On November 19, let's put it, specify it,
00:34on that day, what happened. We were knocked out by Australia in that 50-over final in
00:42Ahmedabad. And now again, we are in a position to knock them out before the knockout would
00:48start, which is an amazing position. And something goes wrong. I think, I don't know what goes
00:53wrong, but something goes wrong with our Indian team when they see the Aussies, that
00:57yellow jersey. Something goes wrong. I mean, what, what goes wrong? I want to know. I mean,
01:02we are joined by editor of MyKale, Mr. Avinash Sharma. Avinash, welcome.
01:07Thank you, Dada.
01:09I mean, what goes wrong? What goes wrong with the Aussies? Please tell me. I'm absolutely
01:15confused. But fortunately, whatever happens, God forbids, India, I mean, I just want India
01:22to win. If India, Indian team doesn't win also, there's nothing to fear because we are
01:30already almost there. One of our legs is also already inside the same final birth. So, we
01:37don't need to worry at all. So, your thoughts, what goes wrong with us when we see the Aussies?
01:45I mean, I still am clueless. We were all under the impression in November on that fateful day
01:54that that jinx of losing against Australia in a knockout stage will finally break. But it didn't.
02:04Things were, I mean, India were looking favourites till the toss had happened or maybe
02:10after the coin landed in the opposition's favour as well. But yes, something definitely happens to
02:17this Indian side. And maybe after a couple of years from now, that mindset, mentality would
02:26start changing. I think it's a mental game because more often than not, we have lost to Australia in
02:34the past on big occasions. And that has been, I mean, that the fear of failure has, I mean,
02:44it's deeply ingrained in the psyche of Indian athletes when it comes to competing with the
02:51Aussies. It is changing, but I believe maybe another couple of ICC tournaments are when they
03:01are done and dusted. Only then can we expect the new generation, the fresh blood to not get
03:08intimidated by the name Aussie or that yellow jersey anymore. But so far, yes, we have seen them
03:16happening, not just the 50-over format in the U-19 World Cup. Also, we saw the Aussies defeating us
03:24this year. Absolutely. I mean, I don't know. I mean, this is something really confused. The Aussies
03:32are also coming into this game after that upset against Afghanistan, losing the game by 21 runs.
03:38That must have been really dead to their confidence. But this is where the championship DNA
03:44we talk about of the Aussies, they're so good with it. And they all will come into play tonight,
03:50isn't it? I mean, let's see how big champion, how big a champion player you are. I mean,
03:57I want to see that tonight happening. I mean, what are your thoughts? I mean,
04:02you know, being dented like that against Afghanistan, do you think it will affect
04:06their performance tonight? The very reason, because Australia is a champion side, because
04:14they are not affected a lot by defeats. I mean, just look at their campaign in the ODI World Cup,
04:24the 50-over World Cup in India. Nobody had even thought they'll be able to qualify for the
04:31semi-finals because the start that they had was very stuttering. But still, they started winning,
04:40they picked up the momentum and the way they defeated the opponents on their way to the finals
04:48and also in the final is a testimony to the mental fortitude this team has and the winning mentality
04:56it has. So yes, they were shocked by Afghanistan the other night, but I doubt it will play a lot
05:05with them in their minds. But of course, India definitely has an edge, not just because
05:13Australia have lost a match, because India has over the last decade or so, if we can look at,
05:21when there's less pressure on India, they tend to do very well against the Aussies.
05:28The first match between India and Australia last year in Chennai, it was a one-sided game
05:33for India. Even in the 2016 T20 World Cup, we saw that knock from Virat Kohli in Mohali,
05:43the way he played, the way he outclassed the Aussie bowlers and we ended up on the winning side.
05:49So, we've done in the past, it's just that I think the fear comes into the Indian players' psyche
05:58when they are facing them in the knockouts. So, when it's not a knockout game, Indians tend to do
06:05well against the Aussies and that is what I'm going to expect tonight as well. The Indian team
06:11has been on a roll. They've ticked all the boxes. In the last match, we saw Virat Kohli and Rohit
06:18Sharma also joining the party, scoring some runs, getting some runs against their name. So,
06:23they must also be light on their feet now that the pressure of performance is at least a little
06:31bit of… It has eased on them as well. So, overall, I think it is going to be a good contest. The Aussies
06:38will not give an ounce for free, that's for sure. But India definitely have it in them to just
06:45settle scores this time around and knock them out before the knockout starts.
06:50Yeah, they should do it. I mean, if you have, you know, salvage some pride by doing that. I mean,
06:56we want them to do it. Because Australia, the famous saying is, you give them an inch, they'll
07:01take a yard. So, that's what the Aussies are… They stand for all these years that we've seen.
07:07What a champion side. I mean, in world cricket, we have seen the mighty West Indies in the 70s
07:12and 80s and the Aussies took over across three World Cups. They were absolutely unbeatable and
07:17they've already done it in Test and ODI. And now they're again wanting to repeat their
07:26form in what they've done in other two formats. They won the championship in 2021.
07:33But that is a little far off when England took over. And then, I mean, you keep getting these
07:41T20 World Cup after every two years. So, that's also kind of a problem. But whatever. But we are
07:49right in front of a big challenge. Aussies, India, Australia, England and South Africa. I mean,
07:57that's the lineup you're looking at for the semifinals. Avinash, what are your thoughts?
08:04It's more or less on… I mean, it's going to be this only. South Africa, they've qualified.
08:10West Indies are out. So, a big challenge in the West Indies has also been taken care of by South
08:20Africa. But South Africa are going to be a big challenge for whosoever qualifies from Group 1
08:29because they are unbeaten so far and they've played some pretty good cricket.
08:37They are clicking well. They are peaking very well at the moment. And that's what makes them
08:44a formidable side and a dangerous opponent for anyone. So, even if Australia qualifies for the
08:51semis or somebody else, it is not going to be easy for them to take on the South Africans.
09:03And in all likelihood, we are going to see an India-England semifinals, it seems.
09:09And again, India-England semifinal will once again bring those memories of 2022 World Cup
09:17semifinal which India lost a margin of 10 wickets. So, again, there will be nerves, I think.
09:27Team India should not just think of the match against Australia today. They should also start
09:36preparing for the semifinals from today itself. And if their key players keep their momentum
09:43forward, they stick to their plans, game plans well, then England will definitely feel the heat.
09:53You know, I mean, often I've asked this question that what is the remedy to get all of that
09:58jitters you get or the nerve-wracking experience you face when you're playing a knockout game.
10:04So, the best way I can think of is just treat every game like a knockout game.
10:09But it's easier said than done because playing a bilateral literally, it doesn't exert that kind
10:17of pressure. You've seen how chop and changes happen in a bilateral game, in bilateral series
10:23over all the years we've seen that. But fortunately for India, they don't change the playing 11 as
10:27much as they do it in bilateral series. But they play around, they experiment, they lose, they win.
10:34But knockout matches, we have been only losing. So, this is quite a disturbing fact about Team
10:41India. Hopefully, this time they're able to, you know, swipe it, clean it with a start on a clean
10:48slate with the mindset, you know, not carry any baggage what you've done. It's very tough actually
10:56to say things of the free. But talking about, you know, you talked about the South African side,
11:03Avinash being a complete side and peaking at the right time. You see Indian team also
11:09versus Australian team. If you see the bowling wide, we started the bowling department. I think
11:14Boomerang has absolutely been, he didn't have a bad day so far in the tournament. T20 bowlers
11:19are bound to have a bad day. So, I hope it doesn't happen in one of the knockout games.
11:23The way he's carrying the Indian team on his shoulder, it's absolutely brilliant to see the
11:28way he's doing it, rubbing that confidence to the other bowlers. So, how do you see Australian
11:33bowling, Indian bowling? If you can compare these two bowling sides, which one is better
11:40on your book? I mean, in your book, I mean, which team is looking better on paper?
11:47I think I'll go with India, not because that we are, I mean, it's our home team,
11:54but because of the overall performance, if you look at it, we've restricted the opponents
12:01inside 120 and while defending 119, but we saw them never letting the leash
12:10loosen on the opposition when it comes to, even if the opposition was chasing 190 plus.
12:19So, that's the best thing about the Indian bowling and the element of Kuldeep Yadav coming into
12:27play now. It has also given an edge to the Indian bowling lineup and this looks a pretty balanced
12:35bowling attack. When it comes to the Australians, we're still seeing it is revolving around Adam
12:42Zampa and Pat Cummins. These are the two of the toughest players and the match winners that the
12:50Aussies have. We certainly don't want to demean or belittle the other players in the Aussie
12:58bowling lineup. They are also doing equally well, but so far what we have seen, it's Pat Cummins,
13:05but even he could not help Australia win a match against Afghanistan, despite he picked up his
13:12consecutive hat-trick in the tournament. So, that somewhere shows and reflects that there
13:20is some problem in the Aussie bowling lineup and also, let's not forget the fact that the Afghans
13:26had almost a century-plus stand. I mean, it was a century-plus opening stand against this
13:32particular Australian bowling lineup, while if you look at the Indian side, Jaspreet Bumrah or
13:40Arshadeev Singh or Hardik Pandya, they are not allowing the opposition batters and the
13:47openers in particular to last longer at the crease. And that's the beauty of this Indian
13:54side. They are not allowing the batters to, I mean, go on the offensive and take the game away
14:00or push the opposition or the Indian bowlers on the back foot. So, that's a difference that
14:08I could make out with the Indian and Australian bowling lineup.
14:14All right. But when it comes to batting, which side is looking better on paper?
14:20I would still say India because we've seen Travis Head and David Warner, they've done
14:28pretty well, but they are still not living up to the reputation that they came up with in this
14:35tournament. It all boils down to how the middle order of both the teams performs tonight. Because
14:43I think Australia also has a pretty balanced middle order and India, same goes with India,
14:48and India's middle order is in form. We saw what happened the other night,
14:54Surya Kumar Yadav getting out on the second ball, but that didn't let the batters slow their
15:01scoring rate. And this is going to be very crucial against a side like Australia. If you are not
15:08letting the fall of wickets impact the flow of runs and keep that scoreboard taking at a better
15:15run rate, definitely at a better scoring rate, definitely you're going to have an advantage or
15:22edge and you're going to be in the driver's seat more often than not against this Australian side.
15:28So, India's batting in the middle also.
15:31No, no, Avinash, what is remarkable also, we bat till number eight. We have bowlers, we have seven
15:37bowlers in the side, I mean, which is amazing. I mean, you see the fast bowlers, Arshadib is there.
15:44You have Bumrah, all-conquering Bumrah. Aditya is bowling exceedingly well. He's been a wicket
15:51taking option for India. We have so many all-rounders on our side. We have
16:01Hubei, we have Adil, we have Akshar, we have Jadeja, four all-rounders. So, that's something I
16:08haven't seen. I mean, again, I'm saying this is the best chance for us to lift the T20 World Cup.
16:14I don't think you'll get a team as complete as what we're seeing right now on paper,
16:21as far as Team India is concerned. Your thoughts?
16:25Yes, we can say that. It looks a very balanced team. And nobody had thought, I mean, there were
16:33naysayers, there was skepticism when the team was announced as to why are we going with the
16:40four spinners. And I think Yuvendra Chahal seems to be a backup for the three spinners that we
16:49have slotted in the playing XI. And I too believe that there's hardly going to be any change in the
16:55playing XI tonight as well. Yes, people are voicing that Shivam Dubey should be dropped,
17:03Sanju Samson should be included in the playing XI because he also can hit those lofty shots and
17:11up the ante and keep the momentum going. But it will again be a little harsh on Sanju Samson.
17:20He will have to come in and deliver almost immediately. And if, God forbid, something
17:28happens and he could not replicate what the fans are expecting of him, then once again, he'll be
17:35pushed further down in the pecking order. And because that's what has been happening with him,
17:42he gets a limited number of chances. And every time he gets a chance, there's the pressure of
17:48performances too much on him. And he faces the axe or gets just sidelined in the next game or the
17:57two or three games later on. So, that is not going to happen. I still believe
18:02Shivam Dubey is still your best bet when it comes to hitting those spinners. And today,
18:08if you look at the Australian bowling attack, taking on Adam Zampa is going to be very critical
18:15for India in the middle overs. And I think Shivam Dubey… Virat Kohli will do it. Zampa versus Virat Kohli.
18:25Provided Virat Kohli… I mean, we have not seen Virat Kohli play bad past the power plays. So,
18:34first, the target for Virat Kohli should be to just last a little longer at the crease. And
18:41when you're lasting a little longer, that doesn't mean you'll just eat up the deliveries. You'll also
18:47look to score at least 130 or 140 strike rate, which is not happening with Virat Kohli. In the
18:53last match we saw, he scored pretty decently. He played those 20-odd balls, 24-odd balls and
18:59scored that 34-odd runs. Something similar we need to see. And also, as I was talking about,
19:08he needs to stay a little longer. He was dismissed in the 6th over, 7th over. So,
19:15for him to take on Adam Zampa, it is important for him to stay in the middle and keep that
19:20scoring rate going. So, yes, because of the fact that one of the best batters for India against the
19:30Aussies historically has been Virat Kohli, a lot will depend on the way Virat Kohli tackles the
19:36Aussie bowlers tonight. Because that will not just send a message to the Aussies. In fact,
19:42it will send the message to the opponents in the upcoming games that, okay, Virat Kohli is finally
19:49here and he is in a mood to send a statement that it may be his swan song, but he is still
19:58the very best that we have seen. So, whatever discussion we had so far, it's quite clear
20:07Australia don't have a chance. Avinash, you are very biased, I have to say that.
20:11Yeah. Yes, we are. And we just hope that the team lives up to this bias. Because I was there,
20:21Dada, on that fateful day on November 19, as you know, I was outside the stadium. I could see
20:28one lakh plus people turning out in blue jerseys. There was a, I mean, the fanfare, the atmosphere,
20:37it was all buzzing. But around 8pm or 8.30pm in the evening, all that excitement, anticipation,
20:48I mean, it had all been blunted out by the Aussie team and people started exiting
20:57the stadium pretty early. Even before 40 overs were completed in the second innings. So,
21:04that was the atmosphere. It was so gloomy that I didn't have the, I mean, I was finding it very
21:11hard to even communicate with the spectators who were exiting the stadium. So, we've seen that as
21:20well. And so, I expect the Indian team to just sort of, it won't be a revenge-revenge, but a
21:32smaller revenge. Because the revenge can only be taken when you are defeating Australia
21:38in a final of an ICC tournament. No, no, no. Don't ask for that.
21:46That's not going to happen, I think. It shouldn't happen. I mean, exactly. So,
21:50a revenge for Team India. Let's take it as the Chennai game.
21:55Yeah. And I think they will take it as Chennai game. Because the pitch also at Saint Lucia
22:03will be a little bit of aid to the Indian spinners. Well, well, well. We are really excited,
22:13actually. You see, you can't wait to see the battle beginning at 8 o'clock. A lot of fun,
22:21lot of music, lot of funfair, lot of fan going there. And as I said, it's a starting of a week
22:30and then people are little laid back when they go back to work. But tonight, when they come back,
22:36they are in for a treat. Avinash has already predicted it's Australia all the way, right?
22:43Am I right? Oh, sorry.
22:49I am backing Team India. They are going to win this match.
22:55Also, the best thing is they don't have anything to lose. I mean,
22:58and so they can play fearlessly. Yeah.
23:04I mean, and then don't play fearlessly in a knockout. Don't do that. I mean, I pray to
23:08Cricket God, please give us a chance because you have been fair to the opposition all this while
23:13for 11 years. Be fair to us for a change. That will really change the entire dynamics of cricket.
23:20Cricket is such a big thing in India. It generates so much of opinion. The kind of people we have
23:24playing this game in the country is quite staggering. Lakhs and lakhs. You know how
23:31involved I am at the grassroots level, Avinash, and I see players are so madly in love with this
23:37game. Thanks a lot for sharing your views and hope for an India win and India walking into the
23:42semi-final slot. And as we said, one foot is already there inside that semi-final ring and
23:49hopefully it will be a smooth sailing and we come back home. And on 1st of July or 30th of June,
23:55we are celebrating and probably on 29th June, let's start the celebration from there on. And
24:02it's unending, I hope, like it happened in 2007. I was there in Mumbai and remember it was
24:08quite a dramatic scene. I don't know if it will be a repeat of what we saw in Mumbai that day.
24:14It will be a repeat of that show, Street Party. We've really been starved of that, you know.
24:20Hopefully that happens. Avinash, thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and we'll be back again and
24:25hopefully after India's win. Take care and keep watching Pitch Battle.