The question indeed is 'Can!' Can MS Dhoni fire with the bat and power his men to a revival in the tri-series?
© AFP
After two successive defeats, Team India have their backs to the wall in the Tri-Series against Australia and England. Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co. will be looking to get two wins - versus Australia on January 26 and against England on January 30 -- to score their way into the final. (Complete coverage of the Tri-series )
With bonus points and Net Run Rate playing crucial roles in the make-up of the ponts table, Friday's fixture between England and Australia at Hobart will be key to India's fate in the tournament.
As of now, Australia lead the table with 9 points, England second with five and India are yet to open their account.
Here are the permutation and combinations for India's survival:
1) If England beat Australia
- With bonus point
A win with a bonus point will take England above Australia on the points table (10 points). The win will also boost England's Net Run Rate, which is already superior to that of Australia.
In this scenario, if India win both their games with bonus points, they will go through to the final. If India win just one game with bonus point, then they will be tied (9 points) with England and NRR will determine the finalist.
- Without bonus point
In this scenario, England and Australia will be tied on points (9). If India win both their remaining fixtures with bonus point, they will go through with 10 points and NRR will determine the second finalist. If India manage just one bonus point, then all three teams will be tied on 9 points, bringing NRR into the picture again.
2) If Australia beat England
Australia will move to either 13 or 14 points (with bonus point) and guarantee themselves a spot in the final. In this scenario, two wins for India will knock England out of contention.
If India lose to Australia next Monday, the final group-stage fixture between India and England will become a virtual semi-final. Even then, India need to clinch a bonus point and make sure they edge past England on NRR.
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