Published: Feb 27, 2015, 02:27 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 28, 2015, 06:12 AM (IST)
Perth: The last time India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) clashed was back in 2004, in an Asia Cup game in Dambulla. Back then, Rahul Dravid scored a century, helping India secure an easy victory. More than a decade down the line, two survivors of that game — Mohammad Tauqir and Khurram Khan — are ready to take on India again in an ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 clash at the WACA, Perth. India are the in-form team and will be looking to extend their winning touch, while the UAE would want to build their reputation.
The big news on the eve of the game is that India will be without Mohammed Shami, who is out due to a knee niggle. It is more a precaution that he is being left out as India want him fresh for the upcoming games. This makes sense considering the fact that Shami is their best one-day bowler and the fast bowling department in general has been dented by injury concerns. The other news is that coach Duncan Fletcher has left for South Africa to attend the funeral of his father-in-law. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
Although this is a game against the UAE, India are not in any mood to let the intensity subside. Shikhar Dhawan brushed aside talks about going a bit easy in the pre-match press conference. For India, this is an unknown team, but they are going in with the same intent to win. Shami’s unavailability can allow Bhuvneshwar Kumar to come in. It is unlikely that India will make changes to their side, although there may be a temptation to give Ambati Rayudu and Akshar Patel a game. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
On the UAE side of things, this team has given the World Cup a couple of good games. Tauqir, the UAE captain, threw light upon the focus in their unit and that although they are playing the big names, they will be concentrating on their job. A lot of the eyes will be on Swapnil Patil, the wicketkeeper-batsman, who has played junior cricket with Ajinkya Rahane and Dhawal Kulkarni. Then there is Krishna Chandran Karate, who was a part of the Kerala team a few years ago. They will be up against their countrymen in this game. Another man in focus would be Shaiman Anwar, who became UAE’s first World Cup centurion in the last game. Top 10 bowlers in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
The big talk has been about the way UAE has fought in their matches. They ran Zimbabwe and Ireland quite close, but India will be a bigger test. This game is important in context of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) plan to reduce the number of teams in the World Cup. Coach Aaqib Javed said his team is eager to put pressure on them with performances and ensure they stake a claim for the Associate nations. Top 10 batsmen in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
UAE and India have played each other only twice, with the latter being the expected winners. India are the favourites for this game, no doubts, and the UAE’s character would be tested. Having said that, there is one factor that would make them feel at home: it is hot and sultry in Perth and it feels more like Dubai than Mumbai. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
Teams:
India: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Stuart Binny, Akshar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): Mohammad Tauqir (c), Shaiman Anwar, Andri Berenger, Swapnil Patil (wk), Khurram Khan, Manjula Guruge, Krishna Chandran Karate, Fahad Al Hashmi, Amjad Javed, Kamran Shahzad, Amjad Ali, Rohan Mustafa, Mohammad Naveed, Saqlain Haider, Nasir Aziz.
Time: 12:00 IST | 06:30 GMT
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
