Opinion: 3 reasons why India can't win the 2019 World Cup
Following the 2-1 loss in the ODI series at the hands of Englishmen, the Indian cricket team became a subject of mass criticism which even raised concerns for their survival in the 2019 World Cup, which would be held in England.
The unexpected defeat might have shaken the Indian team to the core, considering their 1-0 lead against the home team in the game at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, not to forget the presence of some highly experienced players with the likes of MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, who could have ensured an easy victory over the hosts in the 3-match contests.
It was hard to believe that India's entire World Cup scenario changed in a matter of four days. Had they won the ODI series, their flaws would have remained hidden in the closet. Neither media nor the cricketing fraternity would have questioned their style of play.
With only few ODI games left prior to the commencement of the 2019 World Cup, the chances for India to lift the trophy have now converged to near zero.
Here's a look at the 3 reasons which prove why India will find it difficult to win the World Cup next year.
#3 Dhoni's finishing abilities have become a hot topic for conversation
The veteran of 321 ODI games seems to have lost his golden touch. He might be highly effective as a wicket-keeper, in fact, the best in the world at the moment, when it comes to delivering the lightning-bolt dismissals behind the stumps. It's his batting performance which has raised the eyebrows for his future selections, however.
Despite having an average of 51.26 and 10,046 runs in the white-ball cricket, Dhoni's intent and his style of gameplay in the past couple of years have made him a subject of tremendous denunciation.
While Captian Kohli has openly backed Dhoni, critics are clamouring for the in-form Dinesh Karthik or the explosive Rishabh Pant to take the wicketkeeper's place.