1 year ago
188
Five-time champions looking to add muscle to their World Cup campaign
NEW DELHI: It's that time of the year here when pollutants in the air start to test your pulmonary system. With the air quality index (AQI) slipping into the 'poor' category, this is a time when outdoor activities need to be restricted. Yet,
Australia
have no time to focus on any of that.
"I think the only time I am affected by the air quality is when my golf ball goes up in the air and I can't see it. Apart from that, absolutely no stress in mind," a sarcastic Mitchell Marsh said on the eve of their match against the
Netherlands
here at the
Arun Jaitley Stadium
.
The Australian team had a full-fledged session on Monday evening before Marsh,
Marnus Labuschagne
, Steve Smith, David Warner and
Alex Carey
turned up for a hard nets session on Tuesday afternoon. Looking back at Australia's itinerary this year, this team has been on the road for long, playing high profile series with full tours of India and England besides the all-consuming IPL. They are bound to be fatigued and the struggle to flex their muscle is real. For a team that has looked visibly jaded, a slow start to a World Cup campaign may have just been the shake-up they needed.
The ruthless brand of cricket that Australia have boasted right through their cricketing history may have just started come to the fore over the last two games. The challenge here is to maintain the momentum through a long campaign to make it to the semifinals.
"I think it's been spoken about a lot for a lot of teams. And I feel the schedule and the amount of cricket played is the same for every team that's here. India probably play the most cricket out of anyone. It's about leaning on experience of the past. We've got a team full of experience at the moment, guys who've played 12 months of the year for the last probably six or seven years," Marsh claimed.
Vibe has become the operative word here. To push through a campaign hopping venues across the country is the key. "Whilst we had a slow start and we were put under pressure at times, the vibe's great. We've played really good cricket the last two games and hopefully that's the case tomorrow. So, there's a big carrot dangling for us in a couple of weeks' time. Our vibe's high," a firm Marsh added.
They are so delicately placed in the tournament that a game against an associate nation like the Netherlands has become a tricky encounter. That Netherlands have managed to outplay a red-hot team like South Africa must has added to the anxiety.
"Teams have got better. I think that's great for world cricket, certainly in tournaments like this that can sometimes be pretty long. We've said it multiple times now in this tournament this year, there's absolutely no easy games. You go into every game having done all the appropriate homework and hopefully you can come out with a win," Marsh's words had caution written all over.
"I think every game from here on is really important for every team. We've seen some teams that have lost a couple. You're playing in front of the amazing Indian fans that are so passionate. yeah, every game there's high pressure and high stakes."
English (US)