ICC World Cup 2023: India’s Three Most Difficult Games In The 2023 Cricket World Cup League Stage

The 2023 Cricket World Cup is now less than 100 days away, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have ended a lengthy wait for cricket fans worldwide by announcing the schedule for the marquee tournament.

The 2023 World Cup will be India’s fourth time hosting the tournament, but the first time it will be hosted completely in the country rather than as a co-host. From October 5 to November 19, 48 matches will be played across 10 sites.

When it comes to India, each of their nine league stage matches will be played at a different city across the country. India will go across the country during their campaign.

When it comes to India, each of their nine league stage matches will be played at a different city across the country. During the course of their campaign, India will appear to travel for a total of 8400 kilometers across the length and breadth of the country. In the first round, India is the only team in the tournament that will not play more than one game at the same location.

While the world’s attention will be focused on the India-Pakistan match on October 15 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, here is a look at India’s three toughest league games in terms of opponent and venue –

1) India vs Australia At Chennai (October 8)

India’s opening encounter of the tournament could be their most difficult, and it could be a good predictor of how the Rohit Sharma-led side will fare. A World Cup game versus Australia will always be a difficult match in whatever country or stadium, since the five-time champions are a different beast in this event.

This time, a game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is going to be a big test for the Men in Blue. One does not need to look further back than March, when the Men in Yellow overcame India at the same site to claim a 2-1 series victory.

Despite India’s desire to play on a spin-friendly ground, Australia’s spin attack of Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar is not inferior to what India has to offer, and the home team’s batting against spin in recent times has been problematic, to say the least.

---

2) India vs England at Lucknow (October 29)

England is by far the best white-ball team in the world, as evidenced by the fact that they currently hold both the 50-over and 20-over World Cups. Jos Buttler and co. will enter the competition as the favorites, and every team in the tournament will fear them.

The ground at Ekana Stadium is being re-laid, thus India’s game there will be difficult. However, if the surface is slow and sluggish, as it was in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), it will work well as a weapon, but like Australia, the defending champions have a brilliant spin-attack led by Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, as well as the potent part-time spin of Joe Root and Liam Livingstone, which could make such a playing surface backfire on India.

If the new track is batting-friendly, there is no better team to take advantage of it than England.

---

3) India vs New Zealand at Dharamshala (October 22)

The agony of the 2019 World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand has not been forgotten by many Indian fans, and the 2023 World Cup provides an opportunity for the Men in Blue to mend their wounds. The match between India and New Zealand at the 2023 World Cup in Dharamshala promises to be a memorable one.

However, the game will be immensely different for the Rohit Sharma-led team because India has not won against New Zealand in an ICC event in over two decades. The last time the Men in Blue defeated the Kiwis in an ICC tournament was in the 2003 World Cup.

However, the setting works in New Zealand’s favor, as the Dharamshala stadium is located on a hill, which will aid pace, and is the closest to home conditions the Black Caps can find in India. The fast-bowling assault of the 2019 runner-up is expected to pose a significant test to India’s star-studded batting squad.

Also Read: BCCI Unveils Reasons Behind Mohali’s Exclusion from Cricket World Cup 2023 Match Lineup (cricfiles.com)