Moment of reckoning

The starting time of the game at the PCA Stadium in Mohali, may still be a few hours away. But the atmosphere has already reached a crescendo with the fans confident of an Indian victory when they take on Australia in what can easily be termed the quarterfinal of the T20 World Cup here Sunday.
India’s comeback from the brink of ouster by that brilliant piece of inspirational captaincy by MS Dhoni has fuelled the expectations. So much, that the fans, cricket officials and even some cricketers of the Indian team are saying that the Aussies ‘will not have to defeat India alone, they will have to defeat captain Dhoni also’. Everybody has conclusively agreed that with such a leader, India can only win… nothing else.
India team director Ravi Shastri is a prime example of this theory. “I have always said that Dhoni is India’s all-time greatest captain,” the former player told a close group of friends Friday evening. “The way he holds his nerves is simply amazing. It is this ability to handle pressure that makes him the best 50-over and T20 captain India have ever had,” he added.
Yes, what Dhoni did against Bangladesh, no doubt, has already pushed him into the legends bracket. But what will worry the captain is that India’s vaunted batting line-up has failed to get going, save Virat Kohli, in all the three games played so far. The bowlers have come good, which has helped India stay alive in the event.
But then it is highly unexpected that every time India land in trouble, Kohli will pull them out of the woods. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina will have to contribute in this crunch game if India are to put it across the Aussies. Their recent 3-0 record Down Under will no doubt, act as a confidence-booster for India, but then this is a new tournament, a new game with lots at stake for both sides.
The Aussies have a number of players – Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson, skipper Steve Smith, David Warner and James Faulkner to name a few – with rich IPL experience. India are a known opposition to them, the players, the atmosphere and the conditions at Mohali. The form of the players in their last game against Pakistan will also no doubt boost the entire morale of the side. So they will be a dangerous proposition for the hosts.
The positive factor, however, will be the bounce and carry of the PCA Stadium pitch. It will be unlike the ones at Nagpur, Kolkata and Bangalore where the ball turned square from the first minutes of the game. Dhoni has indicated that he would go ahead with the same team as the one that played against Bangladesh… so the time has come for Dhawan, Rohit, Raina and Yuvraj Singh to prove their worth.
Will they deliver at this moment of reckoning? That is the million dollar question, the answer of which will be known in a few hours from now.