ICC World Cup 2023: Venue just can’t help it

Skipper Rohit Sharma (left), bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and head coach Rahul Dravid (right) during a practice session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday. Pic/AFP

The World Cup has yet to catch fire. Four matches into the tournament, the response has been reasonably tepid and the buzz conspicuous by its absence. All that will change on Sunday, when India kick off their campaign for a first global title since 2013 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Chepauk has been the theatre of many a dramatic India-Australia showdown, and it's in the fitness of things that the teams will renew rivalries on the same stage in their respective opening games of the World Cup.

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It was here that, in 1986, the teams played out only the second ‘tie' in Test history; a year later, Australia began their successful march to the 1987 World Cup crown with a one-run victory, and the teams have engaged in numerous stirring battles in Test cricket since.

Rohit's expectations

Much of the same can be expected on Sunday when Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins stride out for the toss. Rohit, who termed leading the country in a home World Cup ‘a big deal', won't be unaware that India haven't won the World Cup since 2011 or any major crown since the 2013 Champions Trophy, though he stressed that it was important to maintain a balance between desperation and hunger.

Cummins, Australia's newest white-ball skipper, will seek to extend his country's exceptional World Cup record. Fascinating sub-plots add greater context to a rivalry that has grown in magnitude over the years. There is little teams don't know about each other these days, but India and Australia know each other a little too well, having played three ODIs in March and three more last month, all in India. But there is a world of difference between bilateral matches and the World Cup, as India have found out the hard way for a while now.

Unavailability of players

Shubman Gill's illness is a massive blow for India but not an insurmountable one. After months of uncertainty, they are in a position to put out a near-full strength side - it's a sign of how well the team is playing that few are talking about Rishabh Pant, recuperating from his horrific road accident - in the conviction that if they play to their potential, few can go toe-to-toe with them.

A barren, brown strip greeted the teams on the eve of the match and Rohit didn't rule out the possibility of three spinners, which will translate to an unexpected third World Cup appearance of local lad R Ashwin. Against Australia's power-packed top order, Ashwin's familiarity with conditions and his versatility can be huge assets, though it is in the power of the collective that Rohit will place his trust.

Travis Head apart, Australia too are at full strength, their hopes revolving as much around their quality all-rounders as the specialists, among whom Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc are the most influential. This should be quite a face-off.