It’s World Cup fever, guys! And to celebrate, MissMalini is hosting weekly Google+ Bowled Over By Cricket hangouts to spread the cheer. For this latest edition, we had BFFs and cricket buffs Saqib Saleem and Prabal Panjabi, sports fanatic and Times Now news anchor Tina Sharma Tiwari, actress Manasvi Mamgai, celebrity tarot card reader Shradha Sala and of course the Team MissMalini dream team. We’re gearing up for the India vs South Africa match tomorrow, so here are some things you need to know before the game starts – as told by our cricket experts!
1) We have never beaten South Africa in a World Cup game
Just like we’ve never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup game, we’ve also never won against South Africa! Here’s hoping that this time around we change this.
2) Numerology-wise, this match is in our favour
Shradha shared a super cool fact: apparently, the number 4 has always worked in India’s favour! And the South Africa/India match is the 13th match, which comes to the number 4. We won the World Cup in 2011, which comes to the number four too. SW
3) If there’s an Indian team that can beat South Africa, it’s our current team
Saqib is of the opinion that this is the best Indian team right now to beat South Africa, so even if we haven’t done it before, this might be the one. He wishes Yuvraj Singh were in the team, but “the present team looks like a very good team. If only we could figure out the two main pace bowlers.”
4) Dale Steyn is not at his best
On the topic of pace bowling, Tina notes that Dale Steyn hasn’t exactly been at his best: “He did not look very good in the last match. He may not be at his best. I think that South Africa will have to think about picking from their reserve bowlers, because they may choose not to play Tahir against India.”
5) We shouldn’t be worried about our openers
A fan told Tina that he thought the openers weren’t doing well together, and asked what chances there were that they’d play well. According to Tina, though, it isn’t exactly fair to say that – and even though there was worry about Shikhar Dhawan, he proved himself in the last match. She also said that Rohit Sharma is in great form so there aren’t any issues there. “I don’t think we should be worried about our openers or our batting line-up at all. I think the only department where we may have a worry – even though Mohit Sharma has stepped up to the task in the last match – is our bowling attack.”
You can watch the entire Hangout below – there’s a super fun quiz showdown between Prabal and Saqib, some cool DIY tricks, and lots more interesting insights on the upcoming match:
Also, don’t forget to join MissMalini’s Bowled Over By Cricket Hangout EVERY Friday at 2pm! Here’s the link to join!
Pix: Payal Patel for MissMalini