INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A quick look at the ICC 2023 ODI World Cup schedule released on Tuesday will show that the hosts - Team India - will be doing most of the
travelling.Among the 10 participating nations, India will be playing all their 9 league stage matches in different venues
That's 9 cities over the course of just over a month
India play their first match on October 8 vs Australia and their last league stage match is against Qualifier 1.Two teams will join the 8
other teams via the qualifier tournament, which is currently being played in Zimbabwe.The decision to schedule India's 9 league stage
matches in 9 different cities is to make sure that the maximum number of fans across the country get to see their favourite cricketers live
But this also means that Team India will need to adapt themselves to different conditions very quickly and that too against different
opposition.1/11ODI World Cup 2023: Complete India fixturesPreviousNextShow CaptionsRead more on TOI Sports India will begin their ICC World
Cup 2023 campaign with a mouth-watering clash against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.India will take on Afghanistan on October 11 in
Delhi.The marquee league match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on October 15 in AhmedabadIndia will play their fourth
match of the mega event against Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune
New Zealand will be India's fifth opponent as the two teams will clash on October 22 in Dharamsala.Team India will face defending champions
England on October 29 in Lucknow.India will play ?one of the qualifying teams on November 2 in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.India will face
South Africa on November 5 in Kolkata.India will play one of the qualifying teams on November 11 in Bengaluru.The International Cricket
Council released the match schedule on Tuesday, less than four months before the mega tournamentTimesofIndia.com here takes a look at the 9
venues picked to host the India matches, the pitches on offer at this grounds and India's records there:Match 1Date: October 8 Match: India
vs AustraliaVenue: ChennaiMatch Start Time: 2 PM ISTThe MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai played host to Team India's first match of the
World Cup and it will be a clash against the most successful team in the history of the ODI World Cup - Australia
In March this year, Australia beat India by 21 runs in an ODI at this venue.Pitch: Solid, dry track
Spinners get a lot of purchase
Will be interesting to see how the Aussie fast bowlers do in this venue
Highest ODI Score in Chennai: Pakistan - 327/5 vs India in 1997India's highest ODI score in Chennai: 299/8 vs South Africa in 2015India's
Record in ODIs in Chennai - Played - 14; Won - 7; Lost - 6; NR - 1Match 2Date: October 11 Match: India vs AfghanistanVenue: DelhiMatch Start
Time: 2 PM ISTIndia's second match will be played in the National Capital
The Arun Jaitley stadium will play host to an India vs Afghanistan clash on October 11
While India will go in as the favourites, a number of Afghan players will know the conditions well, having played here in the IPL
Pitch: Good batting pitch, especially in the first innings
Teams batting first enjoy a better win record hereHighest ODI Score in Delhi: West Indies- 330/8 vs Netherlands in the 2011 WCIndia's
highest ODI score in Delhi: 289/6 vs Australia in 1987India's Record in ODIs in Delhi - Played - 21; Won - 13; Lost - 7; NR - 1Match 3Date:
October 15Match: India vs PakistanVenue: AhmedabadMatch Start Time: 2 PM ISTThe biggest marquee clash of the tournament will once again be -
And this time this World Cup match will be played in Ahmedabad, in India's largest cricket stadium, which has a capacity of 1.32 lakh
India's highest ODI score at this venue was incidentally scored vs Pakistan, but that was in the old Motera stadium
Will this boil down to an old-fashioned India's batting vs Pakistan's bowling clash?Pitch: This stadium has both red and black soil pitches
Final track picked could be a flat track to negate Pakistan's fast bowlersHighest ODI Score in Ahmedabad: South Africa - 365/2 vs India in
2010India's highest ODI score in Ahmedabad: 315/6 vs Pakistan in 2005India's Record in ODIs in Ahmedabad: Played - 18; Won - 10; Lost -
8Match 4Date: October 19Match: India vs BangladeshVenue: PuneMatch Start Time: 2 PM ISTThe team which stunned India in the 2007 ICC ODI
World Cup will take on the hosts in Pune in what will be India's 4thg league stage match
This match could well be decided by which team's spinners do better on the day.Will be an interesting clash, since Bangladesh also have
quality spinners like Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam.Pitch: Slow pitch, favours spinners
Highest ODI Score in Pune: India - 356/7 vs England in 2017India's Record in ODIs in Pune: Played - 7; Won - 4; Lost - 3Match 5Date: October
22Match: India vs New ZealandVenue: DharamsalaMatch Start Time: 2 PM ISTPitch: Fast track, with good bounce
Batters once set can bat big
Dew could be an issue under lights in the evening
India need to be wary of the Kiwi pacers at this venue, especially the likes of Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson (provided they are in the
final NZ squad)Highest ODI Score in Dharamsala: India - 330/6 vs West Indies in 2014 India's Record in ODIs in Dharamsala: Played - 4; Won -
2; Lost - 2Match 6Date: October 29Match: India vs EnglandVenue: LucknowMatch Start Time: 2 PM ISTAnother tough match for India
The defending champions are likely to give the Men in Blue a run for their money
Will be interesting to see the spinners who make the cut for the England squad, they will need them against India at this venue
For India, their goal will be to attack the aggressive English batters with their tweakersPitch: The tracks used in the IPL were not the
best for run scoring and didn't help the home team - the Lucknow Super Giants
But there will be a new square for the World Cup
Highest ODI Score in Lucknow: West Indies - 253/5 vs Afghanistan in 2019India's highest ODI score in Lucknow: 240/8 vs South Africa in
2022India's Record in ODIs in Lucknow: Played - 1; Won - 0; Lost - 1Match 7Date: November 2Match: India vs Qualifier 2Venue: MumbaiMatch
Start Time: 2 PM ISTVirat Kohli has said he is really looking forward to playing a World Cup match in Mumbai
This is the venue - the Wankhede stadium - where India won the 2011 ODI World Cup title by beating Sri Lanka in the final
This could well be a clash vs either Zimbabwe or Sri Lanka
If it is a clash vs the Lankans, it will bring back many memories of the 2011 final
India will be the big favourites in this clash, regardless of the opposition.Pitch: Mostly flat surfaces, with good true bounce
Good for battingHighest ODI Score in Mumbai: South Africa - 438/4 vs India in 2015India's highest ODI score in Mumbai: 299/4 vs Sri Lanka in
1987India's Record in ODIs in Mumbai: Played - 20; Won - 11; Lost - 9Match 8Date: November 5Match: India vs South AfricaVenue: KolkataMatch
Start Time: 2 PM ISTThe city of joy will host one of the big India matches in this World Cup when they play host to the India vs South
Africa clash on November 5
The Protea pacers are what Team India should be wary of at this venue, since the Eden Gardens tracks assist pacers more these days
The tricky part will the early onslaught, especially if India are chasing and batting under lights.Pitch: Expect a track that assists pacers
who maintain a good line and length
Batters once set can score bigHighest ODI Score in Kolkata: India - 404/5 vs Sri Lanka in 2014India's Record in ODIs in Kolkata: Played -
22; Won - 13; Lost - 8; NR - 1Match 9Date: November 11Match: India vs Qualifier 1Venue: BengaluruMatch Start Time: 2 PM ISTA venue with some
of the most passionate Indian fans will play host to one of the 2 teams which come through the qualifying tournament, which is currently on
This could well be a clash vs Zimbabwe or Sri Lanka
Either way, India will be expected to win the encounter.Pitch: High scoring ground
Small boundaries and a true pitch make it a bowler's nightmareHighest ODI Score in Bengaluru: India - 383/6 vs Australia in 2013India's
Record in ODIs in Bengaluru: Played - 21; Won - 14; Lost - 5; NR - 1
