India Will Be On Track For WC Glory If Basics And Planning Are Executed Well: Anjum Chopra

India will be on track for WC glory if basics and planning are executed well: Anjum Chopra (Image Source: IANS)

ODI World Cup: With the Women’s ODI World Cup set to return to Indian soil after over 12 years, former captain Anjum Chopra believes the tournament co-hosts led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, are well-positioned to be serious contenders for winning the trophy - provided they stick to the basics and execute their planning with precision.

In an exclusive wide-ranging interview with IANS, Anjum reflects on India’s prospects of winning the competition, her assessment of the current squad, and shares her thoughts on who would pose a stern challenge to the side in the competition. Excerpts:

Q. How do you gauge the buzz around the Women’s ODI World Cup returning to India after 12 years?

A. If you're saying that there is excitement, then I'm happy to hear that because obviously, it just sets you up - even if you're not a player – like as a broadcaster or as someone who's been around the sport.

I think it just sets you up as well, as thinking is that there's a mega event which is happening or going to start, and people are looking for avenues to be a part of that mega event and so yes, it's always nice.

When we as a nation are a host of such a massive event, obviously the excitement increases, so as the interest increasing towards the women's game - then that's good news. I hope this becomes a very good, successful tournament for the world to have a good view of the women's game as well, and also turns out to be a good, successful tournament for India.

Q. How optimistic are you about India’s chances of lifting the trophy this time?

A. Whenever we've entered a tournament like this, whether as a player or well-wisher of the team, you always go with the hope that you will lift the trophy. You don't enter a tournament thinking that we are just mere participants.

In this World Cup also, my thought and feeling is that if India can do the basics appropriately and planning that they have done as a team and implement it as well, then I'm sure they'll be on the right path.

It won't be an easy pathway because every team is a good one. But at the end of the day, against every opposition, you just need one good day. If India can have that one good day throughout the tournament, that 10-day tournament that they'll be playing, then I'm sure the result will be a good one.

Q. This is a home World Cup for the Indian team. Does that familiarity ease the pressure, or does it amplify expectations with the crowd behind you?

A. It is both. A, that it puts a little bit of pressure on you because you're not away and reliant. Like now, of course, the matches are live and there is live coverage. Everything is very much visible on what you do now. But when there wasn’t that coverage, people weren’t watching the game - they genuinely didn’t know what was happening.

But now, everybody knows. So, really, the venue doesn't really matter. As long as you're within those ropes, it doesn't matter whether you're in England or Australia or playing in India. But when you step out of those ropes, if you have done well, then obviously, there is greater adulation because it's right at your doorstep.

If you've not done well, there is also an expectation and the question mark in the eyes of the people who are moving around you. So, it can be both ways. I personally feel that rather than looking at a World Cup, this is a home World Cup and there will be expectations, pressure and blah, blah, blah - I will still say that it's better that people expect something out of me rather than have no hope out of me as a cricketer.

I would rather be in that phase where people expect me to score runs, and take wickets. When I walk out, everyone is applauding the effort and celebrating an Indian win. So, I think the kind of popularity that the sport has received over the past few years in India, it's probably a good time to have a home World Cup.

Q. Looking at India’s squad, do you feel it’s a balanced and complete unit? Are there any areas you would have liked to see being strengthened?

A. Whatever the best available options were there in front of the selectors, I think they've picked all. Maybe if you increase the squad strength from 15 to 18, you can squeeze in a few more. But those few more that would get added on, in my view, will not be your first 11 or first 12 players on any given day against any given opposition. So, for what I see the squad to be is what the best available options are.

My only concern remains that they remain fit. The people who've been picked remain fit. We've already had one concern and we struggled to find a replacement because of the number of matches or the experience bit. Not about the talent, but I think the best available options are in the squad. The reliance will be again on certain players against certain oppositions at different venues against different teams.

So, I guess everybody knows about it, but it's good that a lot of these players are experienced. They've played finals, semifinals, missed the bus and have been on it. They've come in together as a unit over the past few years, and months. So, this is the best available unit that could have gone ahead and played a World Cup.

Q. Who are the teams you think can pose a tough challenge to the Indian team?

A. South Africa, I feel, will be one of those challengers. The reason I feel that is, look, again, we've had close encounters with England, Australia, and against New Zealand as well. We've not had very good record against New Zealand in a 50 over World Cup over the years. So, these challenges, we are already aware about.

When we have South Africa come in as well, that's also going to be a very strong challenge. Not because they beat us in the 2022 World Cup, because they're a good team. They are a much improved, strong team, covering all their bases. So, I feel that will be a very good stern challenge India will face.

Whether it's Sri Lanka they face, whether they go out there and play Pakistan in Colombo, they come back and play Bangladesh - India has their task cut out, because in the last World Cup also, the moment they dropped their guard, they were challenged. In this World Cup, there is no opportunity to drop their guard.

They can't have an easy game because there will be times that an opposition will get the better of India. Against probably a slightly lower ranked team, you might want to improve your net run rate or you might want to improve how you get the better of the opposition. So, all those matches will come in very handy and become very important how India plans to progress in this World Cup.

Q. Speaking of no opportunity to drop their guard, how do you see this Indian team handle pressure situations in the World Cup and come out on top?

A. That's very individual - it's not going to be easy. Let's put it this way that everything is going to be very difficult, because it will be. You don't expect playing for India and then things being easy. That's not what you prepare for. You prepare for the tough moments. You prepare for the challenges. You prepare for hitting a six on the last ball when the World Cup final is at stake.

You prepare for all these things. So, once you've done that, you've conditioned yourself in that manner, then when you get there and you have to hit a four of the last ball, then at least you can breathe slightly easier because you're prepared to hit a six of the last ball. So, you don't go into any scenario in a battle situation thinking that the opposition is just going to say, okay, come run over us and you can take the match away from us.

A. That's very individual - it's not going to be easy. Let's put it this way that everything is going to be very difficult, because it will be. You don't expect playing for India and then things being easy. That's not what you prepare for. You prepare for the tough moments. You prepare for the challenges. You prepare for hitting a six on the last ball when the World Cup final is at stake.

What you do under that helmet while batting or with that ball in hand or fielding around what the batter will be thinking is all your own thoughts and confidence that you have collected over the past few months and years to be at that place with the crowd cheering around you to come out there and deliver. At that point of time, nobody will be there. You will be your own master, judge and ensure that you do the best for your team.

Article Source: IANS