5 reasons why India are still not ready for the World Cup 2019

It was the ODI series loss against England that left India pondering over a lot of unanswered question, especially after gaining a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series and then failing to capitalize on the lead.

With the Cricket World Cup 2019 scheduled to be staged in this part of the world in less than 12 months’ time, Virat Kohli and his men need to address some issues in order to repeat their heroics of the 2011 World Cup.

After the first ODI at Trent Bridge, India was termed as firm favourites to win the series, before England staged an inspiring comeback to silence all their critics in their inability to play the wrist spin. The Three Lions proved too good for the visitors and showed everyone how they have played ruthless cricket in past 2 years or so.

This was indeed an alarming call for the men in blue as even the skipper termed his team as unprepared for the World Cup next year. We take a look what must have prompted Virat to say so as some of the reasons why India still isn’t fully prepared to regain the title at the big stage:

#5 Over-dependency on the top 3 batsmen

It is often said in white ball cricket that batsmen at the top of the order fancy more chances of scoring the bulk of the team’s runs and it is true in the most sense. But on occasions when they tend to falter, it becomes the responsibility of the middle-order to steady the ship. But the men in blue have lacked this quality and rely more on their top three batsmen to do the job for the side, more often than not.

In the past two years, when scores have read 50 for 3 or 100 for 4, the Indian team has always struggled as the middle order has failed to contribute for the team’s cause. Be it the finals of the Champions Trophy or India’s recent loss against England at Lord’s, the middle order couldn’t defy a loss, just because the top order looked in all sorts of trouble. It is one of the major reason that India’s top three are the mainstays of the batting line up. The team finds themselves devoid of any certain match winner who can rescue the side from all sorts of danger.

#4 Uncertainty over the No. 4 and 5 slots

It’s been a while (since the World Cup 2015) that India have experimented with more than ten players for the 4th and 5th slot in the middle order. The race for India’s reliable batsman who can assure his skipper for the permanency in that slot is still on. The likes of Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Suresh Raina and the many more have been given their due chances but each one of them has struggled to get going in the middle overs.

It seems that the team management has also been in a sort of hurry by not allowing any of the batsmen with an extended run to present his case for the still uncertain slot. With World Cup scheduled in less than a year’s time, it becomes very essential for the men in blue to find someone who can provide the requisite solidarity in the middle overs and unleash in the latter half of the innings.

#3 MS Dhoni’s dwindling form

It has been a major worry for the Indian team as one of the best finishers of the world is finding it tough to provide the flourish in the end overs for his team. Dhoni has always been a vital cog in the Indian ODI setup and with him nearing the twilight of his career, he assures to carry on before bidding adieu after the World Cup next year. In the recent past, former Indian skipper has been expressive in his will to bat up the order at 4 or 5, for the reason of having to spend more time in the middle.

The 37-year old has failed time and again to see his side through after the top 3 fails. In the recently concluded ODI series against England, MS was once criticised for his batting that came close to nothing for the team’s cause despite him getting to bat for more than 20 overs. It is time that Kohli defines a role for Dhoni in terms of his batting if India is to reach into the knockouts of the World Cup that lies ahead.

#2 Lack of a sixth bowling option

The current Indian team is unfortunate to have no certain part-time bowling option in the top six batters. If they plan to rope in KL Rahul at 4 and give a nod to Dinesh Karthik at 5, then they are left with no bowling option until Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni think of rolling their arms for the cause of the team. During the captaincy stint of Ganguly or Dhoni, India was always blessed to have the likes of Tendulkar, Sehwag, Raina or Yuvraj who he could always cash-in on, with some overs on the given day.

If Kedar Jadhav is declared fit and is given an opportunity to feature in the side, then India can rely on Jadhav’s off-spin for few handy overs. Kedar has done well in the past and possesses the knack of picking wickets in crucial times. It is a certain fact that Suresh Raina’s failure with the bat in the recent series will make it a tough ask for the batsman to make it to the playing XI.

#1 Is Hardik Pandya the all-rounder at the big stage?

With the arrival of Hardik Pandya at the International stage, India looked to invest highly in him in search of a certain all-rounder who can set the balance right for the team in all the 3 formats. Pandya was quite impressive at the beginning with the bat but his struggle with the ball continued as his length was short on most occasions. It was gradually that Pandya carried his confidence from batting into his bowling and became a vital element in Virat’s bowling plans.

He was then trusted as a fifth bowling option for India in the white ball cricket. But Hardik has failed to live up to the expectations of his skipper as he conceded runs on many occasions and couldn’t pose any sort of threat to the opposition. He was even criticised for not bowling his quota of overs more often than not. It is now up to the skipper to take the call whether India will risk considering Hardik as the fifth bowler or he gets a nod merely on the basis of his explosive batting skills.