Do India have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup in 2019?
Every team is busy trying to figure out their combination for the ICC World Cup 2019 to be held in England and Wales. Teams from the sub-continent are particularly aware that the playing conditions will be challenging and for them to excel in those conditions they must ensure that they have a combination of players that have the experience of having played there before.
Earlier this year, India completed an extended tour of England that included Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. While India did not particularly have a fruitful tour, the experience the players got in playing in those conditions will ultimately serve them well as they embark on their journey to conquer the World Cup next year.
India's record in ODIs in the last two years has been exceptional. With the exception of a narrow defeat against England in England and a hiccup in the final of the Champions Trophy, they have performed seamlessly in this format, as a team. Clearly, that should give them a lot of confidence going into the World Cup. It's not a surprise, therefore, that India are considered one of the favorites to win the tournament.
However, with that said, the World Cup is the main show. Every single team will come with their best players energized with a passion to win. Each match will be a hard-fought contest and the fittest, most skilled, and the most prepared team that can perform under pressure will eventually win.
India's main strength lies in their top order batting. The top three batsmen typically score more than 60% of India's runs. The trio is so consistent that India's reliance on them is disproportionate. Their bowling, traditionally their Achilles heel, now has the necessary variety and sting to be effective anywhere in the world.
However, India have three middle-order batting issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. Without adequately addressing these issues, India's chances of winning the World Cup will remain slim.
#1 Filling the #4 Batting slot
Firstly, they have to decide on who their #4 batsman will be. It seems like they are settling on Ambati Rayudu. But that seems like a decision made based on the lack of a better alternative than on conviction. The clearest evidence of that was when the team omitted Rayudu from its squad that toured England earlier this year because he had failed a yo-yo test! That seemed like an odd step-fatherly treatment of someone deemed so valuable to the team. It's time to set aside their trepidation and put their full confidence on Rayudu or choose another option.
#2 Should Dhoni Stay or Go?
The second pressing and most difficult issue to be addressed is whether the team should persist with MS Dhoni. Dhoni remains India's greatest captain. His wicket-keeping skills and value as a shadow-captain on the field remain valuable to the team.
But his batting has looked out of sorts and devoid of conviction for a very long time now. He was booed in England by India's fans for a listless batting display. That was a sad sight. Do we want one of our greatest to embarrass himself on the biggest stage when he deserves to be celebrated and memorialized?
And importantly, can India afford to carry a batsman well past his prime in their already weak middle-order? That is a question Kohli will have to answer himself.
#3 Should Hardik Pandya be retained?
The final issue that must be addressed is whether Hardik Pandya should be persisted with. There is no question that a player of his all-round skills has been a rare commodity in India. But, increasingly, his contribution with the bat and the ball has been found wanting.
His performance in England in the ODI series was below-par at best, both with the bat and the ball. Can India rely on him as the finisher with such a patchy record? His bowling too has been so inconsistent that he often doesn't get to finish his quota of ten overs. He may have a bright future in the team; however, whether he deserves a spot in a team contending for the World Cup is another serious decision with serious implications that the team management must make.
So, India's got its top order batting and bowling sorted out. But, if it doesn't make the right call in addressing its middle order problems, the World Cup trophy will elude them.