Former captain Sourav Ganguly neglects the worries about the absence of the All-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of the World Cup clash against England.
Hardik’s absence ahead of ENG clash
India is scheduled to play against England on October 29 at Ekana Sports City, Lucknow. India has been successful in the World Cup campaign and has won all five matches they have played so far.
On the other hand, England has only one victory out of five matches they have played so far in the ICC tournament. India has had a major setback with the absence of the all-rounder Hardik Pandya since the match against Bangladesh.
He sustained a ligament tear in Grade 1 and will be rested for a few more matches before making it for the side.
With India and England set to face off each other, the former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly opens on the absence of Hardik Pandya for the match against England and said not to worry about the side as they have lots of backups.
“He is an important player but India is still a very strong side,” Ganguly told at Eden Gardens before the match.
“India is a fantastic team and has lots of backup,” Sourav Ganguly said. “I had initially chosen England for the semi-finals, but their performance has been below expectations. The championship is still a long way off.
“The league stage is relatively easier, but the real challenge lies in the knockout stage. Australia and South Africa are both strong teams that could potentially pose a challenge to India.”
“Never thought England would play like that but that’s what sports is all about. India is a strong side and is doing well. But the championship is too far, first, they have to get past the knockout stage,” Ganguly said.
“Australia and South Africa will be the two biggest challengers for India,” Ganguly said.
“Eden Gardens always draws in large crowds,” Ganguly added. “It’s a fantastic venue with an incredible atmosphere. I expect the India vs South Africa match to attract even more spectators. It’s wonderful to see so many fans from Bangladesh here. I anticipate an even larger turnout for the Pakistan vs Bangladesh match.”
Bangladesh suffered a fifth consecutive defeat in a row where the Netherlands won the match with 87 runs difference. He was surprised about the absence of the player Tamim Iqbal from the side which has likely affected the team’s performance.
“I’m not sure why Tamim isn’t playing. While one player’s absence doesn’t necessarily affect the entire team’s performance, Tamim is a talented player and his absence is noticeable. Bangladesh is a developing cricket nation and they’re striving to improve their performance,” Ganguly concluded.
