In the days before their match against Namibia in New Delhi, India’s top-order batsmen practiced extensively in the nets, focusing on their hitting techniques. After recent challenges against the USA and Mumbai, which affected their strong T20I record, there is now some hope that Namibia might find a way to compete if conditions are favorable.
Mumbai’s pitch has generally favored bowlers in this World Cup, making it hard to score over 200 runs. India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, emphasized the need for improvements in batting. Recently, most batsmen have concentrated on rediscovering their ability to hit sixes.
On Tuesday, Hardik Pandya hit balls deep into the stands, while Sanju Samson, who is expected to play against Namibia, was finding his rhythm with impressive shots throughout both practice days. He sent several balls soaring into the stands named after Bishan Singh Bedi and Gautam Gambhir, all under the watchful eye of the head coach.
India aims to regain dominance over bowling attacks before making any strategic adjustments.
Namibia Confident Despite Challenges Under Lights
For Namibia, the situation is quite different. Ahead of the match, captain Gerhard Erasmus expressed concerns about his players feeling overwhelmed by the chance to face the reigning champions.
Namibia is still adapting to playing under lights and lacked practice in those conditions before the match, presenting another challenge for this Associate nation. However, Erasmus believes his team will tackle it with the determination that defines Namibian Cricket.
So far, every Associate team has displayed remarkable resilience in this World Cup, and Erasmus is hopeful that his squad will also rise to the occasion.
