India will have 11 World Cup debutants but they are experienced enough to tackle the pressures
What do Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Stuart Binny have in common?
All these players will be making their maiden appearance in a 50-over World Cup. While captain MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Suresh Raina have been a part of the 2011 World Cup winning squad, the rest of 15-member team lack the experience of playing in the quadrennial event.
While the current reigning champs have four from the previous World Cup, six from the triumphant 1983 Indian team were part of the 1987 side that failed to retain the crown.
It will be interesting to note that someone like Rohit Sharma, who has been playing international cricket for more than half a decade, will be playing his first World Cup. Ditto with fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who can be called a veteran for his 61-Test and 75-ODI appearances.
Rohit, however, was a part of the World T20 team that won in South Africa in 2007. He has been part of all the World T20 squads while Ishant has played only one, in 2009 in England. Someone like Jadeja has played more than a couple.
There are some in this team who were a part of India's World T20 squad that reached the final last year in Bangladesh. Players like Dhawan, Binny, Kumar, Shami and Rahane may have got a feel of what it is to play in a world event, playing in the T20 Worlds.
However, former India wicket-keeper batsman Nayan Mongia, who was a part of the 1996 and 1999 World Cup squad, felt that a 50-over World Cup will be different. "T20 is a four over game while in a 50-over the bowler has to bowl 10 overs. He has to be consistent, you have time at your disposal, something that you don't have in T20. Every ball is going to be accountable and it is not going to be easy in Australia and New Zealand. Batsman will have to be cautious, you have to play all six balls differently with patience and solid technique," said Mongia.
He has a solution for the World Cup debutants to overcome their nervousness. "Handle the basics right, something that they have been doing. Batsman should score runs and bowlers should bowl. Keep it simple. Just stick to the basics and practice well. In my case, I was taking one game at a time, whether it was a World Cup or non-World Cup. If you start thinking, there will be no end to it. Keep yourself relax and composed. Don't get hyper," he added.
Former India wicket-keeper and member of the 1987 World Cup team, Chandrakant Pandit, believed the player can let the pressure off by performing. "The World Cup comes every four years. There is pressure on every team. Everybody wants to prove. It is not a normal one day international and you have to play a different team every game. Every player wants to be remembered for winning the World Cup and be a part of the history. Good performance will only ease the pressure," said Pandit.
Pandit felt that the current cricketers will have it easy, though. "They have played with some top-class cricketers of the world in the IPL. They have been tested, which was not the case earlier. I think they will be able to handle the pressure well now," Pandit added.
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