Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar on Monday expressed his thoughts about India’s initial World Cup matches saying that it is better to face difficult teams first.
India will commence their World Cup campaign by taking on five-time World Cup winners Australia on October 8 in Chennai, then three days late they will play against Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi.
"It would have been even more difficult if you were to play Australia in a must-win last match. I feel it is always an advantage to play against the good teams first," Gavaskar said in an interview with Star Sports.
Gavaskar, 73, believes that when you lose the first matches against tougher teams, there is a chance to cover up for that loss in the remaining matches.
"If you don't get a good result, you have chances later. If you probably play against some weak team later, you will know what you need to do against them and with what margin you need to win," he added.
It must be noted that the most anticipated match of the World Cup will be played between India and Pakistan on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the biggest stadium in the world that can gather as many as 132,000 spectators.
India’s record against Men in Green remains impeccable as they have won seven out of seven matches in the 50-over World Cup including a famous victory in the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali.
The Cricket World Cup will be played in the round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches.
The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, which will be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata.
If India qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Mumbai unless playing against Pakistan, in which case they will play in Kolkata.
India at the 2023 World Cup schedule
October 8: India v Australia, Chennai
October 11: India v Afghanistan, New Delhi
October 15: India v Pakistan, Ahmedabad
October 19: India v Bangladesh, Pune
October 22: India v New Zealand, Dharamsala
October 29: India v England, Lucknow
November 2: India v Sri Lanka, Mumbai
November 5: India v South Africa, Kolkata
November 11: India v Qualifier 1, Bengaluru