ICC World Cup 2019: India's lack of lower order firepower should be a cause for concern
When we talk about World Cup contenders, then Indian Cricket team's name would be at the top of the list and rightly so. They have one of the best top 3 in batting line-up in the world right now with Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli comprising the top order that could make any opposition sweat.
To add to it, they have got one of the best bowling attacks with a great combination of spin and seam complimenting each other well. The fielding unit has to be considered among the best in the world as well. This definitely has to be one of the more well-rounded Indian teams of all time.
But there's one area which still leaves India short and could go on to haunt the team at the upcoming World Cup unless they attend to it soon. And that area is the middle to lower order and most importantly the lack of firepower associated with it. India do have a decent middle order but when you compare it with the current runaway favourites, England, you see the difference.
Just recently, England smashed a mammoth 400-plus total against the West Indies and shockingly this was not the first time they did that. England are one of the few (or probably the only one) teams in international cricket to have smashed 400 runs with such consistency. The reason behind that? You just need to go through their batting order to find out how good they are and what their X-factor is.
England have players like Buttler and Stokes who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and post a more than competitive total exceeding 300 runs, even from situations where other teams might just look to play out the quota. Even in the last game against the Windies, it was Buttler's magic 150 off just 70 balls that made such a score possible.
And that is the area where India, if they go up against England, could struggle at. India do not have the big strikers or the players who could score that 150 off 70 balls (as a matter of fact no one in the world does). India have Dinesh Karthik and to an extent, Hardik Pandya for hitting the ball out of the ground in the end overs but you don't really expect them to change the course of the game that often. And that is exactly where the difference is.
India's over reliance on its top 3 could lead to a top-heavy batting order with the lower order not really contributing those big and fast scores, especially when they're expected to be the order of the day in the small grounds and flat tracks of England. India are still dawdling over their lower batting order (that is why KL Rahul keeps getting a chance) and in the pressure situations or a final against England, that could be a massive factor that could go against India.