Ahmedabad, February 17 – With a spot in the Super 8s secured, India will be playing against the Netherlands in their last league match, which is inconsequential for the hosts. However, it is unlikely that India will experiment much in this match, as they could play more matches at the venue and want to gain as much experience as possible of the conditions in the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
After Wednesday's match, India will meet South Africa in a crucial Super 8 stage match at the same venue on February 22, and if everything goes well, they will also be hoping to play the final, which is scheduled to be held at what is the world's largest cricket stadium.
That is why India's assistant coach, Sitanshu Kotak, said that they are unlikely to experiment much and would rather maintain the status quo in the match against the Netherlands and continue to build on the momentum for the Super 8 stage by remaining unbeaten in the league phase.
He said that they would consider a change or two because of the conditions, but not because the match is not important.
"I don't think there will be any experimentation or anything. But yes, looking at the wicket and conditions, there might be something different. But I don't really think that we look at it as a game which is not important, because I think every game is important, and your team wants to be in the same momentum.
"So for us, whether it is, I don't think we think of it as a less pressure game or a more pressure game. We played the last game with the same intent. I think we will play the next game with the same intent as well," said Kotak in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Netherlands clash.
Kotak, who comes from the Gujarat state, also dismissed worries over the weather playing a role in the match and said that they will approach each game with the same seriousness as in T20 cricket, where any team can beat anyone.
"Honestly, I have not checked the weather forecast, so I don't know. It's very difficult to comment, but one thing is clear: if it rains also, I don't think it will affect us.
"From the start of this World Cup, I think we have seen that in T20 matches, any team can beat anybody. So that's why I said every game we approach it as an important game, and they have some very good players as well. So we will just try to play good cricket, and that's all we will try to do," said Kotak.
Kotak also dismissed conversations that bowlers have worked out explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, which has resulted in him getting out early in this World Cup. Though he admitted that they do plan things so that the batter is one step ahead of the bowlers, Kotak said they don't over-analyse the batters, adding Abhishek got out in the first over in the previous match because he was unwell.
"Obviously, we plan, yes. But he wasn't well, so he didn't play. Last game, he got out in the first over. So one thing we definitely do we unnecessarily don't over-analyse, because sometimes you only start making a lot of assumptions than the opposition does. So he is someone who has got his plan sorted, and he follows the way he wants to, and obviously we discuss the opposition, their bowling, their bowling strength, whatever they've been doing in the last few games they've played. All that is normal for everyone, not only for Abhishek," he added.
