The final Group A game between India and Canada was called off without a single ball bowled due to wet conditions on the field.Both teams received one point each, with India topping Group A with seven points. The USA, with five points, also advanced, while Canada finished third with three points.
A significant confidence boost for India comes from the impressive performance of their fast bowlers in the group matches. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Siraj collectively took 20 wickets.
They had the advantage of a challenging, double-paced drop-in pitch at the Nassau County stadium. However, they will have more traditional surfaces in the West Indies for the rest of the tournament.
Nevertheless, if their performances in New York are any indication, their opponents have plenty to worry about. The Indian pacers displayed technical skill and a deep understanding of the conditions, effectively capitalizing on what was available.
Arshdeep Singh particularly stood out. His delivery to trap USA’s Shayan Jahangir with a ball swinging in from over the wicket and a short-pitched ball that troubled Andries Gous showcased his adaptability and skill.
These deliveries could potentially get wickets on any pitch, highlighting Arshdeep’s prowess.
Another positive sign for India is the form shown by their key batsmen, including skipper Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav. Both Rohit and Suryakumar had a subdued IPL 2024 campaign but showed glimpses of their potential here, which they hope to build on in the Super Eight.
In contrast, Rishabh Pant had a good run in the IPL, and many were keen to see how he would perform in a high-stakes environment. Pant exceeded expectations, showcasing his trademark stand-and-deliver flicks, innovative scoops, and one-handed smashes.
Behind the wickets, Pant was equally impressive, displaying acrobatics with his dives, runs, and leaps to make catches and stops.
Hardik Pandya, who was portrayed as a “silent villain” on social media during a lackluster IPL while leading the Mumbai Indians, seemed to find his rhythm in the World Cup. Although his batting hasn’t peaked yet, his bowling was impactful, troubling batters with his pace and variations.
However, not all aspects of the team are in perfect shape. The spinners, except for Axar Patel, received limited game time during the group stages due to the nature of the pitch.
Axar bowled six overs across three matches, taking three wickets. Ravindra Jadeja bowled only three overs against Ireland and Pakistan, and did not bowl against the USA.
Other spinners in the squad, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, will enter the Super Eight without having played in the group stages. They might have had some game time had the match against Canada taken place.
This lack of game time for the spinners might pose a challenge as the pitches in the West Indies are expected to be more spinner-friendly progressively.
However, this Indian squad has repeatedly shown their ability to handle pressure situations with ease. They will need to rely on this resilience as they compete in the Super Eight in the Caribbean.