All through the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, India have fought hard to keep a monkey off their back: the heartbreaking loss against Australia in the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup final in November. Now, they have to deal with another one: avenging the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal loss at England’s hands in Australia. And it wasn’t just any loss, it was a 10-wicket hammering in which the eventual champions blew away a team dotted with big-name IPL players. But India’s captain Rohit Sharma refused to be drawn into any flashbacks or plans of plotting revenge when his side takes on England in the second semifinal in Guyana on Thursday. Severe weather warnings have been issued in the Guyanese capital as heavy showers are forecast. Rain could interrupt parts of the game and could even lead to a complete washout.
Experts discuss what is in store in today’s big clash in the new episode of Pitch Battle.
#IndiaVsEngland #T20WorldCup #CricketClash #ViratKohli #PitchBattle #CricketFever #TeamIndia #EnglandCricket #SportsShowdown #BigMatch #RoadToFinals #CricketFans #ExcitingTimes #T20Action #SportsHighlight
~PR.152~ED.102~
Experts discuss what is in store in today’s big clash in the new episode of Pitch Battle.
#IndiaVsEngland #T20WorldCup #CricketClash #ViratKohli #PitchBattle #CricketFever #TeamIndia #EnglandCricket #SportsShowdown #BigMatch #RoadToFinals #CricketFans #ExcitingTimes #T20Action #SportsHighlight
~PR.152~ED.102~
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hello, everyone. You're watching Pitch Battle. I'm your host, Indranil.
00:08It is a big day. Yes, I don't want to recall what happened two years ago.
00:14India versus England in that same final match where we lost by 10 wickets.
00:19It's a new game, new venue, new everything. And we are in a tough form.
00:24The way we played throughout the tournament, we have been unbeaten.
00:27Hopes are really high. Of course, a lot of evolution, revolution is supposed to happen after this tournament.
00:37But as of now, my heart is inside my mouth. And I'm sure, Avinash, who is joining me,
00:44the editor of MyKhil, would share the same sentiment. Avinash?
00:48Yes, definitely.
00:53We saw South Africa completely crushing the Afghanistan cricket team.
01:02And now, it's scary. Do or die. Either perform or perish. It's very simple.
01:09We have come to this stage of the tournament, that stage of the tournament, whatever you call it.
01:15But we have really struggled in our matches. I'm really tensed, to be very honest.
01:21I'm trying to skip my lunch, because till that time, it's not happening.
01:24And it's a good way to sort of lose weight. And also, stay alert.
01:30Like, okay, I won't sleep with an empty stomach, because the match is going to be on.
01:34Let's be part of that countdown. So, I'm thoroughly excited. What about you?
01:43Dada, I'm also very excited. Yes, from an Indian fan's point of view, I'm also nervous.
01:52Because of the fact, we've had a history of choking in the crunch moments and crunch games.
02:02In the last 11 years, we've seen the Indian team making it to the semis and the finals.
02:08And then, failing to cross the final hurdle.
02:12So, if the younger generation, if we just talk about, who were just, I mean, in their infancy,
02:20when India last won a World Cup back in 2011, they might not be having any memories of an India win.
02:27So, a generation who would be 14 or 15 odd years old, they would find it hard to recollect
02:36whether this team has this mentality or not. Because they've seen them lose out on bigger occasions.
02:45But having this team, definitely has proven a lot of upset by the kind of cricket they've played.
02:59But when it comes to the semis and the finals, it's the mental side of your game which comes
03:08into play and which holds a lot of relevance. Whatever happened in the league stages or the
03:15Super 8 stages, it's all a thing of the past. Now, you'll have to make a fresh start.
03:20Just like a test match, you'll just have to walk in like a fresh session, starting from zero.
03:29And then, build on from the momentum that you've got. And even if you are pushed against the
03:35walls, you'll have to bounce back. We've seen this team bouncing back quite a few times in
03:41this tournament. The road to the semi-finals has not been an easy one. The number of wins
03:50Team India has had, the scorecards that we've seen, will tell you a story. But they've had
03:58their struggles as well on the way through. So, they should be stronger with the kind of
04:07struggles they've had, the hardships they've faced en route to the semis. But if anything,
04:15to go by, the English side is not going to give you a lot of leeways. That is for sure.
04:22They are the defending champions. They will play like champions. And you won't be able to
04:30make a comeback if you make or commit mistakes. We've seen what happened in the last game against
04:36Australia. We batted well. We bowled well. But one aspect of our game, the fielding side,
04:43was questionable.
04:46Alright. But you know, I believe in only one thing. Which is that you have to be a super-cat.
04:52Even a big cat, when it's on a hunting spree, out of 20 times, I think he'll be successful
05:02only once. 19 times. So, that's the way it happens in the jungle. But here,
05:11in our real world, in the concrete jungle, whatever you call it,
05:16the principle won't change. You have to keep trying, keep trying. And this is one occasion
05:21where… I mean, if you win over England, I strongly feel we have a very good chance to beat
05:27South Africa. And all those questions, we have addressed it before also. Our selectors, when
05:34they are interviewed, or the coach, and the commonly asked question, why are we not winning
05:43ICC tournaments? And are we like South Africans? South Africa, they are playing the final for the
05:50first time. So, it's an amazing thing. India, South Africa playing. Well, I don't want to
05:57insult them by saying they have choked in the past, or they are chokers, or something like that. It's
06:02very easy to actually pinpoint and say something nasty about a cricket team. But you know how
06:09tough it is to play cricket, to win a tournament. How many elements will have to come together
06:15to ensure you are winning a tournament? It's not easy. So, I mean, repeated effort from Indian
06:21side, which is also commendable. The fact that we tried. We went out hunting 20 times. We have been
06:27successful only once. Going by what a tiger would do in the wild. So, keep trying. But it doesn't
06:36mean the tiger would go back empty stomach. It's very important that we get our food on time. If
06:48you want to eat more, hunt more. That's what tiger principle is all about. Your thoughts on that?
06:5520 times, you will only be successful once.
06:59Yeah, and that's the philosophy of this game of cricket. I mean, just look at the
07:06batters or borers. They won't get a six or get a wicket every ball. So, they will have to face
07:15n number of balls and concede n number of runs to get a wicket. So, definitely,
07:22it teaches them a lot. They will not be successful on every occasion. There will be
07:28failures more than the successes that you've had. Rahul Dravid has been rightly putting it up.
07:35He sums it up very nicely that your career has been decided by the number of failures you have.
07:41But the lesser number of failures that you have, you will be counted as the great. And more often
07:47than not, you will end up on the losing side or on the failing side because Virat Kohli will not
07:53be able to score a ton in every match. But still, he has the best conversion rate in world cricket
08:01in terms of centuries or half-centuries. Stuff like that. So, even Jaspreet Gopalak or Gisora
08:07Bada, they all are good bowlers, gun bowlers. But they will not pick wickets on every delivery or
08:14in every single over they play. There will be bad days. And that is how the game or sport teaches
08:20them. So, it's as equal to a lion going for the hunt and coming empty-handed. But he will not
08:29leave it or just sit back because it's a matter of survival. And for Team India as well,
08:38it's actually not a matter of survival, but it's a matter of proving your authority and
08:46dominance in world cricket. Yes, you've been bilateral kings. You've done a lot at your home.
08:53You've done well away from home. But when it comes to your legacy, your performance,
09:02your dominance in world cricket, it will only be gauged watching at the ICC trophies you have in
09:11your cabinet. And that's what, at the end of the day, counts. True. True. I mean, I remember 2007
09:21when a young team, in which Sachin and Saurav desperately wanted to be there to play that
09:29inaugural T20 World Cup. They couldn't because selectors, the BCCI, informed that they would
09:35send a young team. And they did. And we didn't have much of an expectation. This time also, when
09:41we went to the US, to the West Indies, there was not much of an expectation from the fans. But
09:48from the time, the Indian team has picked themselves up, going from strength to strength,
09:52playing every match to their potential. And everyone raising their hand and saying,
10:01I'm going to win the match for you tonight. So, that spirit has really been indomitable. I really
10:08hope they continue to do that tonight. Because
10:13we deserve it. Let's put it in simple words. The fact that we are the headquarter of cricket. I
10:19mean, ICC could be based out of Dubai, London. It doesn't matter. World Test Championship might
10:23happen in London. It doesn't matter. But world cricket is ruled by India. And if India would
10:28win, it's only a validation of the fact that we deserve to be the champions. You see the
10:35infrastructure. You see the kind of talent we have. It's a package. And we are feeding,
10:44world cricket is feeding off India's money. And look at the sponsors who are there. All
10:47Indian sponsors. Look at the timing. The matches happen at 8 o'clock prime time in India. So,
10:54there has to be some due diligence. Cricket God, are you hearing me? Please, please get me
11:00that trophy. We deserve. So, this time also, we didn't have much of an expectation. But team
11:05doing and going from strength to strength, that should be a good start to what we are out there
11:16to achieve. What are your thoughts? I mean, the fact that we didn't expect much. Tonight also,
11:22we are expecting a lot deep down inside. But we are not seeing much.
11:27Yes, and that's a good thing. There is a saying,
11:31milk-burning buttermilk also drinks on an empty stomach. So, it's something like that. And the
11:35thing is, people don't want to jinx it. They've seen the journey, as I was mentioning. The lesser
11:44expectations you have, the better it is. Because the team is doing well, you don't want to jinx
11:50it. And also, because of the fact that the fans have a belief in the Indian cricket team that
11:59no matter what, they will qualify for the semi-finals. The actual battle for Team India
12:04starts now. And be it Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, whosoever is a good captain or a legendary
12:13captain, it will only be proven by the fact that if you end up lifting that trophy, you won't be
12:20gauged or judged by how many times you made it to the finals and what kind of team you had,
12:27whether it was a strong team or relatively younger, inexperienced team, not a very strong team,
12:33was it a fluke or not. I mean, everything will be taken into consideration only if you are
12:41ending up on the winning side and becoming the champion. So, the first target for every Indian
12:48team is to just make it to the semi-finals. And then, from there on, they will have to ensure that
12:56they keep that winning mentality, winning streak in the knockout stages. Because we've seen these
13:02players fizzling out in crucial matches. We've seen what happened in the 2015 semi-finals against
13:10Australia. In Australia, in Sydney, we just couldn't perform. I think it was the pressure
13:19of a big match. That too, playing against Australia on a ground like Sydney, which always favours the
13:26Aussies. Then there was a Champions Trophy final in England, where everybody was expecting Team
13:35India to go on and lift that trophy at Adelaide Oval. That didn't happen. And then, what we saw
13:45in Australia in the last edition of the T20 World Cup and last year as well at home. So,
13:53everybody understands the fact that the moment you start putting your expectations,
13:59the team might start feeling a little heat of that and they might not be able to cross the final early.
14:12So, yes, we are not seeing a lot of fanfare in India as well about the T20 World Cup. People or
14:21the fans are just taking one match at a time and it's just a game. Nothing else.
14:26True. And the fact that you mentioned about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. I was just calculating
14:36next year, if they win today, and win the World Cup. What happens is, in the 2015 Champions Trophy,
14:46in 2026, we have another T20 World Cup at home. They would love to play that. In 2027, we have
14:5450-over World Cup. So, the journey goes on. Do you see them playing till 2027 in white-collar
15:05cricket? A lot of people are saying they should win and retire. Who would give up? There is so
15:11much money. Who would give up? And as long as you are playing for India, you are always in the
15:16circulation. It's just the kind of money they make also. If you are not playing T20 cricket,
15:22you are out of public consciousness. How many players will be remembered? And that's why
15:28they don't play domestic cricket. They all only want to play white-ball cricket.
15:33So, why will I go if I am performing?
15:41It's not just about performing, Dada. It's also about making way for the younger generation.
15:48I mean, you've had your fair share of successes and failures. It's time you decide and start
15:57showing that you are not just a legend on papers. You are also a legend in real sense. And by
16:07legend, you cannot be performing. You just not be thinking for yourself. You will also have to
16:14think about Indian cricket and its future as well. You are not playing domestic cricket and
16:22you come up with this justification that if we are playing in domestic cricket, we are eating up
16:31our space. Well, it is time you realize something similar is happening at international stage as
16:38well. You've played your part. You've done your service to Indian cricket. Nobody is going to
16:43question your contribution. People are going to celebrate your game, your stardom, your legacy
16:53for the next 15-20 years. Unless and until the next Rishabh Pant, next Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli,
17:02your first team. I want to interrupt. I want to ask you one question.
17:08If these seniors, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would tell the youngsters, who more than us,
17:12then you take over the slot. I mean, who is stopping you? Why are you not scoring more than
17:19what we are doing for India? What we have done? And we have seen in bits and pieces how difficult
17:27it is. When you have experience of Virat Kohli. There is a joke going around that if you miss
17:33five minutes of your match, Virat Kohli would join you very soon. You and Virat would be watching
17:38the match together. So, if they are able to score. And Virat is, of course, a very, very important
17:45player. I will exactly read out the quote which is the joke which is going around. They are saying,
17:50nowadays, if you start watching a match five minutes late, Kohli is also seen watching the
17:58match. So, that's the joke. But he is a stalwart. Let me tell you that. I mean, even though I was
18:06not on the same page as Slater. I am sure Avinash also that they should have played this World Cup.
18:13We have a good team. Anyone who would get into the side, I am sure it's going to perform. Because
18:21the overall structure of the team and everything. So, yeah. That bit is there. If I am scoring
18:29more than the youngsters, what stops me from playing more?
18:33See, absolutely. That is true. But the youngsters will only be able to perform when you are making
18:40way for them. And then, there is an added responsibility falls upon their shoulders.
18:48For now, the youngsters also have this mentality. There could be a thought process in them going
18:58to their minds that, okay, even if we don't perform, this is there. We will do this. So,
19:04that mentality also tends to do you harm, more harm than good.
19:11And apart from this, if you see, there is a problem when people, there is a popular saying,
19:18elephant in the room. So, addressing the elephant in the room becomes a concern. And when you have
19:23a player like Virat Kohli, or a persona like Rohit Sharma, who have done some remarkable things
19:35between those 22 yards and the pitch. So, sometimes, they are so much in awe that they
19:44just can't get out of it and bring the best out of their game. So, it is time for these youngsters
19:52to just be thrown into the sea, into the water, and let them swim. Because if you are giving them
20:01a life jacket, and then you are asking them to swim, they will not learn the art of swimming
20:08the way they should. True. Very well said. In fact, this morning, what we saw, Afghanistan,
20:16the way they lost. And of course, Avinash, they could have won the toss. And they could have
20:24elected to bowl, like England did against India in Andalusia. And Wicked had a lot of juice for
20:31the bulls. I don't know what prompted Rashid to give it away on a platter to South Africa.
20:37I was a little surprised with that. Tonight, I don't know what they are going to do. I mean,
20:40of course, it's a day game in the West Indies. How Indian team will win. The last time,
20:48a wrap-up of what happened in the last semi-final, we played against England. England won the toss.
20:54And they beat us by 10 wickets. England were chasing 169 for winning the game. They did it in,
21:05how many overs? 16.2 overs. They scored around 170. What a match it was, remember. And a lot
21:13has been spoken about that knock of Virat Kohli after that. You know, 50 of 40 deliveries. And
21:18then Rohit also not contributing much. 27, I think. He scored off 28 deliveries. So,
21:25they have to really up their ante. They have to really pull up their socks, do something
21:32extraordinary. Because this is the game. We have to set the example, set the bar high.
21:38So, this is the match we are all looking forward to. What a tremendous battle it will be. But
21:44I mean, your thoughts, how would you reflect on the way Afghanistan lost to South Africa?
21:51It was a golden opportunity. Probably, an Australian team would have given a good run
21:57for their money, as far as South Africans are concerned. Your thoughts on that?
22:00They must have. They would have. They would have beaten South Africa. Because,
22:11as we were discussing in the past as well, these days, the art of winning in the
22:20semi-finals and the final. How often do we see them losing in a knockout game? Very rarely that
22:29happens. So, yes, they could have been the better side. But looking at the way Afghanistan team
22:40played in this competition, let's commend the fact that they have done something extraordinary
22:48to be in the semi-finals. First of all, in a short span of 12 years, it's just commendable.
22:58And they would have definitely had butterflies in their stomach. The pressure
23:04would have been there. And they learned from these mistakes. We've already started calling
23:11them the second-best team in Asia. And they have been living up to the reputation of that. So,
23:21it will bode well for Afghanistan. It will augur well for them in the coming days.
23:28Even if they lost it, yes, it looked like a very uneven contest. There's hardly any
23:34challenge pose or threat pose to us. But it is all because of the fact that they played so many
23:46semi-finals but never ever they made it to the finals. So, let's give a big round of applause
23:52to the South African side. We saw them doing that in the 2011 T20 World Cup. In 2022 also,
24:03they were showing signs. They were looking dangerous. And all that effort of the last
24:10four years has finally culminated into their coming to the finals. Kudos to the South African
24:19team. The South African cricket team is showing faith and creating a side which is now looking
24:29as a potential champion and such a dominant force in world cricket now. Absolutely. I mean,
24:36what a sight it is to see the way they have come into the final. And they deserve it also.
24:41But I mean, the best part of the story today was when Afghanistan lost its early wickets. And
24:49they were all over the place. And Nokia charging in, trying to sledge Rashid Khan. And they got
24:57into a sort of an ugly exchange of words. And then later on, they hugged each other.
25:04That was beauty. That's the beauty of this game, right?
25:08Absolutely.
25:08We think of it as one of the best memories.
25:14Yeah. It will go down as a good moment. Rashid was reprimanded for his behaviour in the last game
25:27against Bangladesh. He and both Nokia might be summoned by the ISAC today as well for their
25:36behaviour on the pitch. But what happened? I mean, everything was buried and was left
25:43in the match and on the ground itself. It's good. So, it's all good. But definitely,
25:52match referee is not going to refer to that. What happened in the match, in action,
25:59during the heat of the moment, whatever you did, they are definitely going to get some penalties.
26:07And it's good. It adds colours as well to the sport. And sometimes it is very important to
26:14have those heated conversations. Sometimes it brings the best out of you and the players.
26:19True. I mean, it was amazing too. Such wonderful sides. I mean, they represent different nationalities
26:27and they want to win for their country. And when they come together, they are the best of friends,
26:33like India-Pakistan cricketers. Whatever political differences we have, the cricketers have always
26:38shared good rapport amongst themselves, which is what cricket… That's the strength of this game.
26:43That's the strength of this game. How do you see England as an opposition tonight?
26:48Oh, when you talk about that… I mean, I want to forget what is going to happen tonight. It's
26:53actually… It could be quite nerve-wracking for me. I'm a little weak in terms of seeing… I
27:05want to really want to see India doing well in this game. But how tough will it be for England to
27:10go past them and be in the final? How do you see England? Also, they have shown a lot of
27:15good temperament in this tournament. After losing to Australia initially,
27:19they fall back. And they can really soak under pressure. And they have that experience. They
27:25have been under-19. 20-20. 20-19 world champion in 50-over format. 22. So, they have been in that
27:37position. Ruling that whiteboard cricket. Australia wanted to sort of grab it and become
27:45all-format champion. Which India and Afghanistan joint venture to ensure that it's not going to
27:51happen. As we wait for that match to begin, your thoughts on England, Avinash? How do you see
27:59England as an opposition in front of India? Whenever they had the opportunity to
28:07perform and speak, they spoke with their performances. They showed why they are the
28:13best in the business. And that's what they are going to do in this match as well. Their morale
28:21will be high. Yes, people are claiming that this is not the same Indian side that English faced
28:28back in 2022. But sometimes, these things are all part of a mind game to just
28:37let the opposition guard down. We have seen something similar. I was there in Ahmedabad
28:43during the 2023 World Cup final between India and Australia. And believe you me, even the Aussie
28:51media were not backing the Australian team, at least in the public. They were all going gaga
29:00about the Indian cricket team. And they were all claiming that this is going to be a cakewalk for
29:05the Indians because of the kind of game they have been playing, the performances they've been
29:10putting, playing at home, the home support and everything else. But when it came on the D-Day,
29:18they surprised everyone with the kind of game plan they came up with. So, something similar.
29:26England might also try to script. They might try and look at springing up a couple of surprises.
29:33They have it in them. They have the team to do so. And let's be very honest, Team India would not
29:41be wary of Jofra Arjun. But they would be wary of Adil Hussain and Mohin Khan.
29:50Absolutely. But you can push the Aussies out of the tournament. And they have been
29:57beating us in all these two finals. World Test Championship final, 50-4 World Cup final.
30:03Now, it's England's turn to be pushed away. That's what I would be praying tonight,
30:10throughout the day. From the time I woke up, I've been saying, India, India, India. Like all
30:14Indian fans, we are super excited. Avinash, thanks a lot. We hope for an Indian win. And of course,
30:19winning the tournament, this is what we are looking at. And we will not settle for anything less.
30:24On that note, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the show. Entire Pitch Battle will be back tomorrow.
30:30And after India's win, hopefully, that should keep our fingers crossed. Thanks for watching
30:35Pitch Battle. Take care and enjoy.