IT is India's batting depth that helps them bounce back from pressure situations, Sunil Gavaskar said ahead of India's World Test Championship final against New Zealand on Friday (18).
Apart from batting stars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane making the top order, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the lower order gives India's batting depth.
Ashwin and Jadeja with six Test centuries between them can prove to be the game-changers in the final at Southampton.
"With Ashwin and Jadeja playing so well, India's batting depth is the envy of the cricketing world," Gavaskar, who is in England, told AFP.
"Yes, there could be the odd bad-innings like Adelaide, Australia, but this team is like a wonderful rubber ball, always bouncing back and keep on bouncing."
India crashed to a record low of 36 all out in the first Test in Australia last year before bouncing back to win the four-match series 2-1 in a dramatic final in Brisbane in January.
New Zealand, led by the world's top Test batsman Kane Williamson, head into the final with a recent 1-0 win over hosts England in a two-match series.
Gavaskar said New Zealand now have quality players in their team that have settled well in English conditions.
"New Zealand is a team that has invariably flown under the radar and thus underestimated by the opposition," Gavaskar said.
"They have one of the greatest batsmen in the world in their team as well as a pace bowler who will be among the greatest left arm pacers too. They will be high on confidence after the win over England."
India last played in March and are coming into the final after playing intra-squad match during quarantine but Gavaskar believes the team would be hungry to perform.
"In terms of match practise, yes, the Indians may feel a bit undercooked but they will be hungry to get into action," said Gavaskar. "And will have the drive and energy since they haven't played competitive cricket for over a month."
Gavaskar also backed the India's new ball attack to bowl out an opposition twice.
"India has a terrific new ball attack and spinners who can take advantage of a pitch that should be drier in the months of August and September.
"We have seen in recent times the Indian attack picks up all 20 wickets in just about every game."
Met Office issues yellow weather warnings for wind and rain on Thursday
Low-pressure system could become a named storm, possibly ‘Storm Bram’ or ‘Storm Benjamin’
Forecasters warn of flooding, travel disruption, and potential power cuts
Warnings in place for Thursday
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for wind and rain across large parts of southern and eastern England, as a deepening area of low pressure moves across the UK on Thursday.
Forecasters say the system could bring heavy rainfall and gusts strong enough to cause localised flooding and travel disruption. While the impacts are not expected to be severe enough for the Met Office to name it a storm, other European weather agencies may decide otherwise.
Heavy rain and powerful gusts expected
Rain will begin spreading into southern England late on Wednesday before moving northeast through Thursday. Rainfall totals are expected to reach 20–30mm widely, with some areas, including Devon, Cornwall, and eastern England, seeing 30–50mm or more.
Strong north-westerly winds are forecast to develop, with gusts between 45–55mph (70–90km/h) possible in many areas, and up to 65mph (105km/h) along parts of the east coast.
The Met Office has warned that isolated gusts could briefly reach 75mph (120km/h) later on Thursday, posing a risk of fallen trees, power outages, and further travel delays.
Potential for a named storm
Although the Met Office does not currently expect to name the weather system, neighbouring meteorological agencies could.
If the impacts are greater in northern France or Belgium, Météo France or Belgium’s Royal Meteorological Institute could designate it as Storm Benjamin, the next on the south-western Europe list.
Alternatively, if the Netherlands determines the system poses greater risks there, it could be named Storm Bram, drawn from the shared naming list used by the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Meteorological agencies across Europe will coordinate before confirming any name to maintain consistency across forecasts.
Public advised to stay alert
With uncertainty still surrounding the intensity of the low-pressure system, forecasters are urging the public to monitor updates closely and plan for possible travel disruption or power interruptions.
Up-to-date warnings and forecasts are available through the Met Office and BBC Weather channels.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.