Who will be India’s toughest challenge in the World Cup? VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir have different takes

It’s just another five games to go before India take on their first opponents at the ICC World Cup 2019 in the form of South Africa on June 5. The former world champions will be playing nine matches in the showpiece event which will be played in a round-robin format with the top four point-earners going through to the semi-finals. Though a lot of experts were seeing India, ranked No.2 in ODI cricket in the world at the moment, they were still figuring out which teams would throw the toughest of challenges to Virat Kohli’s men.

Two former India cricketers VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir named the teams they felt would be India’s toughest opponents in the WC. In a show ahead of the first of the five ODIs against Australia in Hyderabad on Saturday in which star actors of upcoming Bollywood film ‘Badla’ – Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu — were present, the two former players expressed their opinions on India’s toughest opponents when asked by Pannu.

For Laxman, it’s England

Laxman, who himself did not play any World Cup and came to the closest of playing one in 2003, felt it was hosts England who will throw the toughest challenge to India in the upcoming tournament. India will clash with England in Edgbaston on June 30 and that game could be extremely crucial for either time given its schedule in the peak part of the tournament.

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Gambhir, who played in the 2011 World Cup at home and played a key knock of 97 in the final against Sri Lanka to help his side clinch the title for the second time, felt Australia would pose the biggest threat to India in the tournament.

The former left-handed opener picked the yellow jerseys despite the fact that the Men in Blue recently dominated them in Tests and ODIs on their soil. Australia though came back strong to win a T20I series in India and now the two teams lock horns in an ODI series as a major preparation for the mega event.

In the World Cup, India will be meeting Australia at the Oval on June 9.

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