Former England captain and commentator Michael Atherton heaped praise on the in-form India after they became the first team to qualify for the semifinals of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Team India thrashed Sri Lanka by 302 runs at the Wankhede Stadium to record their seventh straight win in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023, and with this win, the hosts booked a semifinal spot.
Reacting to the Men in Blue’s dominance at the CWC 2023, Atherton described India as the “best team by a country mile”, saying they are a very good all-round side in the tournament. He also hailed India’s bowling attack as the best in the world at the moment.
Michael Atherton said on ICC's Review Podcast: “They've looked the best team by a country mile. They've got the best bowling attack. That's really the thing that has stood out for me.”
He added, “They're a very good all-round side, obviously, but to watch them tonight (Thursday) against Sri Lanka here in Mumbai, and then the way they bowled against England in Lucknow, those seamers are making early in-roads and then, making life much easier for the spinners.”
Speaking about India’s pace battery, Atherton said: “It's a fantastic attack. I think the quality and depth of the Indian pace bowling is the thing that's changed dramatically, really, since I played here.”
The former England captain added, “I'm not sure I've seen a better pace attack than the one India are putting out right now. (Javagal) Srinath and (Venkatesh) Prasad, when I played, were very good, Zaheer Khan obviously. They've had very, very good bowlers, but this three, backed up by the two spinners, it's a really top quality all-round attack right now.”
India will next face the second-placed South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 5 in the World Cup 2023 and Atherton said that it be an exciting contest.
He signed off by saying, “It's going to be a taster of what may be to come in the knockout stages. Whether the players can hold their nerve, whether South Africa can still bat as aggressively and as well against India's pace attack, that remains to be seen. It'll be a good pointer to what's to come.”
(With PTI Inputs)
