IND vs AUS: "India Not Hot Favourites For ICC World Cup 2023 Title"- Atul Wassan's Shocking Take

India won their eighth Asia Cup title after beating Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo. This is the second time that Rohit Sharma led India to an Asia Cup title win.

India bundled out Sri Lanka for just 50 and chased down the target in 6.1 overs. Mohammed Siraj headlined India’s victory with his six-wicket spell. Kuldeep Yadav was the Man of the Series while Shubman Gill with 275 runs ended as the top run-getter in the series.

Rohit Sharma in the post-match press conference said that India ticked all the right boxes in the tournament heading into the World Cup. He credited his bowlers and teammates for this clinical win against the Sri Lankans.

Meanwhile, Atul Wassan in interaction with ANI said that India are not a hot favourite heading into the ICC World Cup 2023. Wassan said that he believed in the team’s chances however whether they will win the World Cup or not depends on the tracks that they play and whether they build on their success in the Asia Cup.

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India’s Chances Depend On The Kind Of Pitches They Play On: Atul Wassan

“We are ready for the World Cup. The Indian fans believe that they are the hot favourites to lift the trophy this year. However, if our team goes into the tournament as the favourite and suffers an early exit, the fans will be left heartbroken as they have been over the last 13 years. Hence, I believe it is best to temper our expectations while being cautiously optimistic about our chances. I think we are not the hot favourites. Much of our chances in the tournament would depend on how we go from here (Asia Cup success) and the kind of pitches we play on,” the former India speedster told ANI.

He further said that he was in agreement with Rahul Dravid’s tactics of using new-ball bowlers who are suited to Test cricket and also in white-ball cricket. The recent success of Mohd Siraj is an evident example of that.

“I would personally endorse Rahul Dravid’s thinking that bowlers, mostly suited to the Test format, will also do well in ODIs as the new ball swings and seams in the early overs and a team needs to go in with attacking bowlers who can get early breakthroughs. You can’t have attacking bowlers in ODIs operating on defensive lines and lengths and trying to save runs. It’s wickets that win you matches” Wassan added.

He hailed India’s Asia Cup title win saying that the team looks a settled unit with the return of senior players and key players back from injury.

“Delighted as I am at India winning the Asia Cup after 5 years, I believe that this victory is only the beginning. It’s the beginning of a process that can take us to more glories down the road. Everyone is looking forward to India going well in the World Cup and our team does look balanced and settled,” Wassan concluded.

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