Indian team beating Pakistan is only a first step
Going by the wild and euphoric celebrations across the country on Sunday, it would appear that the Indian cricket team has already won the 2015 World Cup. But then there is unanimity among the million of cricket lovers here, including even those in the playing fraternity, that beating Pakistan at any level of cricket is a major high in itself and that it equals a victory in the final against the best in the world. Still, even if one sets the emotional quotient aside, the Indian's team's emphatic win over Pakistan on Sunday cannot be downplayed.
For one, this was the opening match for the country in its quest to retain the World Cup as the current holders of the title. Anybody will agree that a victory — and a decisive one at that — in an opener hugely props up the players' confidence and provides a crisp momentum that can yield positive results in the coming matches. The victory also ensured that India's unbeaten winning record against Pakistan in World Cup tournaments so far, has remained intact. This is not just a big psychological boost to the men in blue but also a mind setback to rival Pakistan which could (if it and India play well in the coming matches), well clash again with India in the semi-finals. But perhaps the most important contribution of the victory to the Indian team is the sudden gain in the players' stature and confidence.
Captain MS Dhoni and his men had come into the tournament in the backdrop of a string of defeats they had suffered in their recent matches against Australia and England in one-on-one and a Tri-series. Mr Dhoni’s captaincy too had come under the scanner. The form of Indian players and the lack of experience in the relatively young team had led experts not to put their money in the incumbent champion this time around. The favourites had been Australia and New Zealand. While the Indian team's victory over Pakistan does not mean that the former has suddenly become the favourite — after all, the tournament has just begun and we have to see how the Indian team performs in the coming matches — it has least put the men in blue in a more serious reckoning.
Nonetheless, this is no time for complacency. The team must not forget to plug the gaps, and there were some in the game that it has won. For instance, the batting more or less collapsed in the last few overs. But for the big score that had already been achieved, thanks to the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina, this crumbling could have proved costly — and it will if it repeats against stronger teams such as South Africa, whom India plays next. And, while Indian bowlers put up a competent performance, there appeared nothing extraordinary in them that could rattle the stronger batting line-ups they will encounter as the tournament progresses. For a side that is relatively strong on the batting, it helps to win the toss and opt to face the rival bowlers. But then, one does not always win the toss or have wickets that don't crack early.