India have been one of the most consistent ODI teams in the world in the last d🍸ecade. Yet all they have to show for it is a blank spot in the trophy cabinet. Failing at ICC events has been a major point of concern for the cricketing powerhouse.
India’s performance in ICC events
If we look at India’s record in the group stage of the last two World Cups, it has actually been very impressive. They won all 6 games in 2015 and won 7 out of 9 (1 was a washout) in 2019. A record of 13-1-1 in 15 matches in Australia and England means they were a quality outfit on both occasions. Their win-loss record in bilaterals has also been among the best – they are currently ranked the number one ODI side in the world by the ICC.
Issues in high-profile ODI knockouts
India have lost three high-profile ODI knockouts – the 2015 World Cup semi-final against Australia, the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan, and the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
These matches had a very similar pattern – they did not take enough wickets in the first innings, and their top-order got out to quality left-arm pacers while chasing. This meant that they were never really able to keep up with the required run rate – even when the target was just 240 in 2019.
Analyzing India’s defensive mindset
You also notice a similar defensive trend in the T20 World Cup knockouts which they lost – they batted with a conservative approach and ended up scoring below-par scores at Dhaka (2014), Mumbai (2016), and Adelaide (2022), and then failed to pick up wickets while defending those totals.
What does꧋ this mean? India’s biggest issue is probably the defensive mindset 🧜they keep going back to when the chips are down. They do not seem to have a Plan B when the opposition counter-attacks their best bowlers, or takes down their best batters early on.
Selection conundrum: The number 8 slot
If we look at the current squad, the first major selection conundrum is the number 8 slot. Should꧂ they go for batting depth, looking at Ravi Jadeja’s current batting form? Should they play four number 11s? Or should they play the extra spinner?
While these will most likely be calls that will be made based on the conditions and opposition, things can always go wrong here. The management may read the pitch incorrectly. T👍he player might not end 𝓡up performing even in conducive conditions. The point is that there is always a scope for error in such a scenario.
Debutants in the 2023 Cricket World Cup
This is also the first major world tournament for the likes of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Mohammed Siraj. While they have been terrific in their respecti🦩ve roles since the last World Cup, their real test will be against full-strength sides in the World Cup because teams (including India) often didn’t field their best XIs in bilaterals post-COVID-19. They all💧 have integral roles to play, so if their first World Cup does not go as well, it might derail India’s campaign a bit.
Ravindra Jadeja’s form concerns
Ravindra Jadeja’s form has been a cause of concern. From 2019-21, while his batting was as good as it had ever been, he just couldn’t take any wickets. However, in the past two years, he has bowled well but struggled to score – he scores fewer runs and at a slow rate. But how many number 7s across the globe are great anyway?
Managing workload and injuries
Workload management is also an integral part of playing a long tournament like this. India’s two most valuable players – Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have been injury-prone in recent times. It will be the management’s utmost priority to ensure that they can get the best out of their ace all-rounder and lead pacer. Even a small niggle would mean that a billion fans would have𓂃 their hearts in their mouth.
And we haven’t even talked about the talented Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Will they come into the picture at so✤me point in the tournament? If so, what is their best utility 🐠in an ODI game?
But really, India’s major issue is most likely how their players react to difficult scenarios. The whispers from t𝔍he camp during the last World Cup were they played with a fear of failure. They were almost frozen by th𓆉e thought of letting people down.
Because as a team, even if you break it down, there isn’t ꦗmuch wrong with this. If the top 3 fail, can they count on the middle-order to do the job? There is plenty of talent there. If Bumrah has an off day, can Siraj take a cluster of wickets against a top-batting side? He certainly has been. If Kuldeep loses his wicket-taking, teams still have to score quick from Jadeja.
They have counters for almost every situation. Most teams in this tournament would die for their options to bat at num🍸ber four. But because the fans and media have seen all the failures, there is a thought that this is an issue. In fact, at a certain point, the issue here is that there aren’t issues.
Uncertainty in India’s World Cup journey
India can lose this World Cup, Australia and England could just outplay them, and maybe South Africa as well. Injuries and form can hit any team. But in truth, what might be the most upsetting thing for an Indian fan is there don’t seem to be any obvious reasons why🍷 they might fail. But you also could have made that 🦋point many times in the last decade.
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