4 Reasons why India can win the 2019 Cricket World Cup

There's just a year left for the cricket world's biggest prize - the World Cup - to be up for grabs, and the attention has shifts to international cricket after all the excitement generated by CSK's IPL exploits. And if things go as planned, the recent dominance of the Indian ODI team could culminate with a famous win at Lord's, delivering a third ODI title to the nation.

With the fixtures list being released long back, we try to look at 4 reasons which could help Virat Kohli follow in the footsteps of legendary Kapil Dev and hold the trophy aloft at the Lord's balcony come 2019:

1. Strong Batting Order

The Kohli-led Indian Batting is arguably the best in the world

No other team in the cricketing arena can presently boast of better batting resources than the "Men in Blue". With a solid opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan followed by the best batsman in the world, the Indian Top 3 is the envy of the world.

With the likes of Lokesh Rahul, Ambati Rayudu and the Pandya brothers available in the middle order followed by an experienced finisher in MS Dhoni whose recent IPL exploits stunned his critics and fans alike, the Indian batting order looks pretty much settled.

The IPL has added to the talent pool by showcasing the abilities of Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, the bench strength too looks power packed. With the ODI game fluctuating towards the batters in recent years, the batting prowess makes India the front-runners for the title.

2. The pitches and India's past performances in England

Rohit Sharma had a great time on the flat ODI Tracks in the Champions Trophy

Countering the swing has been a major factor in India's Test struggles in the British Isles but ODI cricket is a different ball game. The pitches tend to be a lot flatter in the ODIs and hitting is far easier for the Indian batters.

The likes of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who have often been criticised for failing against quality seam bowling overseas, have an outstanding record in England. The two were monumental in India's Champions Trophy exploits in 2013 and 2017.

The grounds in England are also far smaller than the ones encountered in Australia during the last tournament, which makes the likes of Pandya and Jadeja far more potent. The Champions Trophy assignments are a major indicator that the Indian ODI team will be a major force to reckon with in 2019.

3. The demise of Australia

Steve Smith's absence will cost Australia badly in 2019

The Capetown Saga has virtually broken the back of the Australian ODI team. With the two best batters out of the side, the Australian team has been left to lick its wounds.

The Aussies are always a force to reckon with in the 50-over World Cups and were expected to raise their game once again in 2019 but the Smith-Warner absence has virtually ruled them out. While Justin Langer still has a year left to reshape the squad, it won't be an easy task. The banned duo is still eligible to take part in the tournament, but the lack of match practice for a year is bound to take its toll.

Also, the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn and Tim Paine have failed to perform in the international circuit with consistency. It would be a lot to ask them to replace the talent and experience that Warner and Smith bought to the side.

4. The rich bowling resources

Jasprit Bumrah is the best death bowler in ODI cricket at the moment

The Indian pace department has probably never been as potent in its history as it is today. With the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav in the lineup, the Indian bowling arsenal has the ammunition to blow away any batting order.

The death overs are a critical juncture during any ODI match and the duo of Bumrah-Bhuvneshwar are at their best during this phase. Bumrah has maintained his excellent standards throughout his short career while Bhuvneshwar has come back strongly after some hiccups in previous years.

Umesh Yadav's raw pace will also be invaluable on the hard decks of England, and his recent IPL exploits can prove to be an excellent confidence booster.

The spinning duo of Chahal and Kuldeep have bamboozled all batsmen in their novice partnership so far and can be expected to further tilt the scales in India's favor. Their wrist spinning ability can be vital during the tournaments where the majority of games are expected to be played on flat decks and most of the batters have not had a lot of experience playing such bowling.