India have won eight games on the trot in the World Cup 2023 so far.
It was India’s eighth successive victory in this World Cup. This result also guaranteed them the pole position on the points table irrespective of the result in their last league match against Netherlands.
Impressed with India’s supremacy in the marquee event, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram said that every team must be thinking how to stop the winning juggernaut of Rohit Sharma’s men.
"I think every team in the World Cup must be exactly thinking the same thing right now, including New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan, whoever will play them in the semi-finals. They are looking very good," Akram said on A Sports.
The former fast bowler also acknowledged the planning which underwent to make this Indian team a dominant force.
"Yeh sirf is World Cup se nahi huwa. Yeh planning saal-dher saal se ho rahi hein unki. Main player, jab choti teams aati hai…jab Australia ki jo series huwi thi Asia Cup ke fauran baad, usme main player nahi kheley the. Suryakumar, jo inko rakhna tha squad me unko khilaya. Yeh planning se hota hain. Aise hi kuch nahi hota [This didn't happen only in the World Cup. The planning is going on for 1-1.5 years. When the Australia series happened just after the Asia Cup, they didn't field main players. They played Suryakumar Yadav, who was going to be in the final squad. This happens with planning. It can't be just like that]," he remarked.
Ex-Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who was also part of the discussion panel on A Sports, explained how other teams have to work mentally before the match against India.
"Sabse pahle toh mentally aapne battle se nikalna hai. Unhone pahle hi itni achi cricket khelke itna pressure har team ko kar diya hain ki..more than 50% battle toh woh pahle hi jeetey hote hain. Sabse pahle kisi bhi team to unhe tough time dena hai toh pahle mentally isse nikaley ki hum achcha khelengey aur jeetengey [They have played so much good cricket that opponents are already under pressure. They have won 50% of the battle before the start. Opponents have to mentally well prepared and play India with the mindset that they will play good cricket and win the game]," Misbah stated.
According to Shoaib Malik, another former Pakistan skipper, only Australia can give a tough time to India in their remaining World Cup campaign.
"I think only Australia will give a tough time to India," Malik said.
Misbah feels the pressure at knock-out stages will give opponents an outside chance against India.
"Jo bhi ho jaaye, ek cheez toh confirm hain. Yeh group stage hain, and when they go into the knock-out stages, jitni team achcha khel rahi hoti hain, favourite hoti hain, utna hi pressure aap pe jyada aata hain. Once koi bhi team aapko under pressure ek-do baar karengi, then they have a lot to lose [This is the group stage, and when the knock-out stages starts, the team playing well and is favourite, comes under a lot of pressure. When opponents start putting them under pressure, then they have a lot to lose]," Misbah said.
To which, Malik said, "Pressure ko sabse jyada achha deal bhi yahi karte hain."
Misbah agreed with Malik but added that other teams will have an outside chance in the knock-out games.
"They deal pressure well, but it gave an outside chance to the other teams also," Misbah concluded.