Published: Feb 28, 2015, 10:34 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 28, 2015, 10:34 AM (IST)
Following India‘s below-par performance in the tri-series involving Australia and England had snatched the favourites tag away from the defending champions going in to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. However, back-to-back wins against two top sides have put India right at the top of Pool B and back in contention. Having comprehensively defeated arch-rivals Pakistan and title contenders South Africa, India will now take on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the WACA here Saturday in their third encounter of the quadrennial event. Live Scorecard: India vs UAE,ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Pool B match at Perth
It will be unwise to take the UAE lightly as vice-captain Virat Kohli said, following the South Africa match, that at end of the day it will be 11 men against 11 men with the same weapons — bat and ball. India should come down hard at the non-Test playing side to further signal their intent in the World Cup. Another win will easily put them well on course for the quarter-finals. LIVE UPDATES: India vs UAE ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Perth
India’s batting looks good with Kohli and opener Shikhar Dhawan scoring centuries in the first two games while middle-order batsmen Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane have also been amongst runs. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
The one small concern for captain MS Dhoni would be their finish. Though India batted brilliantly against both Pakistan and the Proteas, they failed to capitalise in the death overs, losing wickets and not scoring as many runs as expected after formidable starts. Both spinners and pacers have come good in the two matches, with pacer Mohammed Shami picking up a four-wicket haul against Pakistan. However, Shami has been ruled out of the match with a knee problem. The likely replacement will be either medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar or all-rounder Stuart Binny. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel might get a chance too. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
On the other hand, the UAE, playing their second World Cup, have lost both their matches against Zimbabwe and Ireland. Though their bowling is well below par the international standards and it will be difficult to contain India, their batting has been quite impressive, particularly Shaiman Anwar. The Sialkot-born Anwar scored a solid 67 and a scintillating 106 against Zimbabwe and Ireland, respectively, to help his team put up strong totals on the board. However, a weak bowling line-up and even weaker fielding led the expat-filled UAE team to lose the games. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
UAE, a team full of people born in the Indian subcontinent, will be looking to gain experience and will have nothing to lose against the defending champions, while India may try a few other combinations before they take on stronger teams.
Squads:
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.
