It may only have been a warm-up match against Afghanistan, the World Cup debutants, but after more than two months of tasting no success on the field, there was no mistaking the seriousness with which India went about business. Hamid Hassan and Dawlat Zadran tested the batsmen early on, winkling out Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli in the first four overs, but the fluency with which Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina delivered the riposte meant that those setbacks seemed no more than little blips ten overs into the innings.
The one thing that was quite apparent during the Afghanistan match was India settling on their bowling combination. A member of the team management confirmed that Bhuvneshwar Kumar wasn’t injured. Given that both he and Stuart Binny lack pace, neither is likely to be risked against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval.
During the Champions Trophy, India didn’t chop and change like some of the other teams. That consistency in selection paid big dividends. During the last World Cup, certain individuals like Ashwin and Raina were introduced for specific games. Those left on the bench for the Pakistan match – like Ambati Rayudu – will also find other chances coming their way, but there’s little doubt that the XI that take the park will be the first-choice options for this tournament