"You can put pressure on yourself if you want to win all 7 Tests" - Reetinder Sodhi on Team India's prospects of reaching the WTC final
Reetinder Sodhi believes Team India should not put undue pressure on themselves in their quest to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The Indian team are currently placed fourth in the WTC points table. While Australia are perched atop the standings, Pakistan and South Africa are marginally ahead of Rohit Sharma's side.
During a discussion on India News, Reetinder Sodhi was asked about Team India probably being required to win all their remaining seven Tests to make the final. He replied:
"The best part is that India has a chance, it's not over as yet. It's necessary that you keep realistic goals, win one Test at a time. You can put pressure on yourself if you want to win all 7 Tests. So your aim has to be to reach the WTC final but the road for that is through winning one Test at a time."
While acknowledging that it might not be a walk in the park, the former all-rounder highlighted Team India's all-round strength. Sodhi elaborated:
"The journey is not easy but the way the Indian team is playing, if we talk about the recent Test series against Sri Lanka, this team has the might, the consistency is being seen, bowling has been fantastic and if we talk about the batting - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, the way Shreyas Iyer's bat is talking and Rishabh Pant is looking in good form."
Shreyas Iyer (Man Of The Match) 🏆🇮🇳
Rishabh Pant (Man Of The Series) 🏆🇮🇳
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📸 CREDIT : BCCI / DISNEY + HOTSTAR ✅
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The excellent form displayed by the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant during the Sri Lanka series should hold India in good stead. However, they will also want Virat Kohli to return to his former best ahead of the upcoming crunch matches.
"We have always put pressure on Australia at home" - Reetinder Sodhi optimistic about Team India's chances
Reetinder Sodhi feels the four-match home Test series against Australia presents India with a great chance. He observed:
"The seven-match journey can be good as well. We will have to win all the matches. With Australia coming to India, we have a huge chance. We have always put pressure on Australia at home."
The 41-year-old reckons India's spin-bowling might gives them an edge against the Aussies on home soil. Sodhi stated:
"Australia knows that it will be difficult for them to play in India. The wickets are spinner-friendly and if we talk about spin, we have better spinners. So, India has a huge chance."
Like the last time round, India vs Australia will again have a major bearing on who makes it to the #WTC23 Final.
February-March 2023. Mark your calendars already!
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India have won their last three Test series against Australia by a 2-1 margin. They might need to do better than that to qualify for the WTC final.