ICC World Cup 2019 | I think the middle-overs are where the games could be won and lost, says Andy Bichel
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Former Australian cricketer Andy Bichel has said that the middle overs would be very crucial in the World Cup and that phase will decide the fate of the game for any team. Bichel also backed Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc to get the job done for Australia by picking wickets in that phase.
The middle overs in recent times have played a crucial role in deciding the fate of an ODI game and Indian spinners have done incredibly well to chip in with wickets in that phase. Andy Bichel feels that Australia and India have an upper hand with better bowling attacks that can do well in the middle overs.
“I think that’s where the games could be won and lost. If a wicket does fall in the middle overs, and this is where I think India has got a pretty good attack, and then (they) can blunt the run-flow before the back end (becomes) unstoppable.” Bichel told Reuters.
Bichel also backed Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc, Australia’s two attacking bowlers, to get the job done in that middle phase. Starc can conjure two wickets in quick successions while Zampa banks on accuracy.
“There’s going to be an opportunity in the middle overs to attack with one of those two (bowlers), to blunt the run-flow to a new batsman. That middle part of the game, Adam Zampa is a big one for me, someone who attacks the stumps, rolls it either way. He’s pretty special bowling to new batters as well, keeps them very quiet … The middle part is something I’m going to watch very closely,” Bichel added.
Starc was the highest wicket taker in the 2015 World Cup with 22 scalps to his name. Bichel predicts the experienced Starc to lead the bowling attack and get immense support from the likes of Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis. Cummins' rise as a bowler has been irresistible and has grown across formats.
“The thing that’ll probably help Mitchell (Starc) is the fact that Pat Cummins has really expressed himself and ended up being the Allan Border Player of the Year. I think that would make Mitchell breathe a bit easier even though he did have that good support last time. Another good thing is Australia have grown a lot of confidence in Stoinis in recent times, especially in the India series where he was given the ball to bowl some big overs and he was pretty successful."
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