"They look like they’re loving it at the moment" - Michael Hussey on Team India's performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup
Former Australian batter Michael Hussey believes India are unquestionably the team to beat in the 2023 World Cup. However, he reckons it remains to be seen how the Men in Blue perform under pressure, given their recent reputation of stumbling in the knockouts.
Team India have been ruthless in the 2023 World Cup from the outset and have stormed into the semi-finals on the back of winning nine consecutive matches. The hosts, who are yet to lose a game in the tournament, look primed to break their hoodoo of not winning an ICC trophy since 2013.
Hussey believes India's real test will be in the knockouts and is keen to see how they deal with that pressure.
"India) look great, don’t they? Their squad looks amazing. They’ve got all the bases covered, really. They’re playing with confidence. They look like they’re loving it at the moment," he told Fox Cricket.
"Obviously, they look like the team to beat, no question. For me, the question mark coming in was, could (India) handle that home pressure, playing in front of their home crowd and delivering. I still want to see them play in the knockout stage, where you lose, you go home. Does that change their mentality at all?" Hussey added.
Virat Kohli's form has been the most encouraging aspect for India. The right-handed batter is currently the highest run-scorer in the competition with 594 runs in nine innings at an astonishing average of 99.
"They don’t really care about the past" - Michael Hussey on new generation of cricketers
Hussey further observed how fearless the new generation of cricketers is and getting unaffected by past events.
"My observation of this generation of players is they don’t really care. They don’t really care about the past. They’re writing their own destiny. This new generation of Indian cricketerd, they don’t seem to worry about the old baggage or the old scars. They’re trying go out there and forge their own destiny," he explained.
Team India and New Zealand will lock horns in the first semi-final of the 2023 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.