Kolkata, March 3
Former cricketer Deep Dasgupta believes there are "good chances" that India can lift the ICC Champions Trophy but cautioned the Rohit Sharma-led side of the threat posed by Australia ahead of their semi-final encounter.
India deployed a ploy of four spinners, and New Zealand fell right into it during the final group-stage match on Sunday. The 250-run target became too much for the Kiwis to chase down, especially with Varun Chakravarthy weaving magic with his mystery spin.
The leg-break spinner left the Kiwis hoodwinked and returned with figures of 5/42 to send India to the top of Group A, setting a semi-final clash with Australia on Tuesday in Dubai.
Deep Dasgupta backed India to go all the way and lift the title on March 9. However, he conceded the journey to the elusive glory won't be a walk in the park for the Men in Blue.
"There are good chances. There is no doubt about it. Everyone is in good form. Bowlers and batters are contributing. The real ICC Champions Trophy has just started. If you remove the first two matches, the real ICC Champions Trophy has started with the New Zealand match. There are chances, but it won't be easy," Deep told ANI.
If India manages to avenge the 2023 ODI World Cup heartbreak in the semi-final clash against Australia, New Zealand or South Africa will be the final hurdle in their hunt for the trophy.
Deep believes it shouldn't matter to India which team awaits them in their quest for success. For him, the simple mantra is: If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
"If you want to win the ICC Champions Trophy, it doesn't matter. From an Indian perspective, whether it is Australia, South Africa, or New Zealand, it doesn't matter. If you have to be the best, you have to beat the best. So, it doesn't matter. But obviously, if there is a team that I have my eyes on, the other end would be, to a great extent, Australia," he said.
Ahead of India's semi-final clash on Tuesday, Deep urged the Indian side to be wary of the Baggy Greens. The Australian side is missing its top artillery in the tournament due to the absence of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis.
Despite Australia's lack of firepower, Deep believes they are still a big threat, considering their pedigree and awareness of thriving in the tournament's knockout phase.
"Australia is such a team that knows how the ICC is played. They know how the ICC tournaments are played. It is not just about skill. It is about temperament, mindset, etc, and I think Australia knows that better. Others may not know the pedigree," he said.
- ANI