'It is always an advantage to play against the good teams first' - Sunil Gavaskar on India opening WC 2023 campaign against Australia

Team India will kick-start their campaign in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Notably, the much-awaited 50-over tournament will begin with a clash between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.

Now, former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that if India were encountering Australia in a knockout match it would have been challenging for them. The 73-year-old added that it is a benefit for the home team to play their first match against a powerful team like Australia in the marquee event. 

"Absolutely. It would have been even more difficult if you were to play Australia in a must-win last match. I feel it is always an advantage to play against the good teams first," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that if the result of the first game is poor, India will have more possibilities to stay in the tournament. He added that if their opposition team is weaker, India would be mindful of what to do against them. 

"If you don't get a good result, you have chances later. If you probably play against some weak team later, you will know what you need to do against them and with what margin you need to win," he added.

Gavaskar recalls India's first-ever World Cup win in 1983

Sunil Gavaskar then recalled India's maiden World Cup victory in 1983. According to the 73-year-old, India began their 1983 World Cup campaign against the West Indies, and they outplayed them in the rain-soaked contest. He went on to say that the team's confidence grew as a result, emphasizing that India's performance in World Cups had been average up until that point.

"In 1983 we played the first match against the West Indies. They were the defending champions and we defeated them. It was a two-day game because it had rained and the play resumed on the next day. There also we registered a win. The self-confidence increased because of that as till then our performance in World Cups wasn't anything special. We hadn't won even one match until then," the former India skipper added.