The ODI World Cup 2023 is three months away and discussions around the marquee event have begun already. Last week, the International Cricket Council announced the fixture of the tournament which begins on October 5 with the clash between the last edition’s finalists – England and New Zealand – in Ahmedabad. As far as the hosts are concerned, the Men in Blue will begin their campaign against five-time champions Australia at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Meanwhile, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar stated that playing Australia in the early stage of the tournament is no less than an advantage for the Indian team.
Speaking on Star Sports, the former India captain said even if the hosts begin with a loss, they will have enough chances to redeem themselves.
“Absolutely. It would have been even more difficult if you were to play Australia in a must-win last match. I feel it is always an advantage to play against the good teams first,” Gavaskar said.
“If you don’t get a good result, you have chances later. If you probably play against some weak team later, you will know what you need to do against them and with what margin you need to win,” he added
Gavaskar recalled his team’s triumphant journey in the 1983 World Cup which began with a surprising win over defending champions West Indies. He said a win against a strong team will provide a massive boost to the confidence of the side.
“In 1983 we played the first match against the West Indies. They were the defending champions and we defeated them. It was a two-day game because it had rained and the play resumed on the next day. There also we registered a win. The self-confidence increased because of that as till then our performance in World Cups wasn’t anything special. We hadn’t won even one match until then,” he added.
India will be playing at 9 out of 10 venues across the country. Their final fixture will be against a qualifier on November 11.
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