England and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 set for mouth watering group B clash at Bangalore
England and India are set for a humdinger at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on 28 February, 2011 as locals throng the venue to buy tickets in anticipation of one of the most enthralling contests in the 14-nation tournament.
In a World Cup which has so far lacked in action with a series of lop-sided matches; the England-India clash promises to be a close encounter.
English captain Andrew Strauss claimed that his team was looking forward to the clash as the Indians were a real threat for the rest of the teams in the tournament. He hopes that his team would rise to the occasion and strangle the blazing bats of the Indian batsmen led by Virender Sehwag and his opening partner, Sachin Tendulkar.
Strauss stated that his team was capable of giving them a real shake especially if they get off to a good start and silence the crowd at the start of the match.
“It's going to be a huge atmosphere,” he said. “It's one of those games that everyone dreams of playing, against India at the World Cup on their home turf. It's a great opportunity for us and one that we're very excited about. I don't think it's a case of reinventing the wheel, we just need to play good, smart cricket. In some ways there's more pressure on India than us in this game.”
Meanwhile, the Indian contingent is aiming to stamp their authority further in the tournament after their impressive start against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, whom they walloped with a scintillating 175-run victory.
“We are not celebrating yet, that's for sure. Of course, we had a good start in the opening game, where we batted really well and after that spinners did a good job in the middle overs. Again, I think it's about the team that will start well and hold the nerves for a consistent period of time,” said the Indian captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820.
The Indians are expected to have their team filled with a battery of slower bowlers who can strangle the English batsmen with their guile and skills. At the same time they would hope that the wicket would suit their style of play. However there are concerns that the wicket might help the seamers if the heavens open before the start of the match.
It rained considerably earlier in the day today as the Indians and English team were forced off the park. The two teams would hope the rain steers clear so they get an opportunity to play a full 50 overs match in front of a boisterous crowd.
England are also aiming to make an impact with their slower bowlers in the match and would be hoping for overcast conditions similar to what they get in the English summer.
The likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad can make a big impact under cloud cover with their ability to swing the ball at a lively pace.
India (possible) 1 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Piyush-c82317 Chawla, 11 Munaf Patel.
England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson
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