Four things every Indian cricket fan wants to see in 2022

Another year, another set of fresh expectations from the Indian cricket team from us fans, isn't it?

Well, the year gone by proved to be a great one for Indian cricket fans. Both the men's and women's teams gave us several moments to rejoice courtesy of their brilliant performances.

Of course, it wasn't a perfect year. There were several disappointments. These include the men's team's inability to win an ICC event or the Women in Blue's inability to close out games from a winning position.

Nevertheless, the upcoming 12 months will come with a fresh set of opportunities for Indian cricketers. They will have the opportunity to right the wrongs of last year and carve out a fresh legacy for themselves.

On that note, here's a look at four things every Indian cricket fan wants to see in 2022:

---

#1 Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and the Women in Blue finally lift the 50-over World Cup

England v India: Final - ICC Women's World Cup 2017

Like their male counterparts, the Indian women’s team has fallen short at the final hurdle in ICC events in the last five years. The upcoming year will once again give them an opportunity to break the hoodoo and bring home the elusive silverware.

New Zealand will host the next edition of the 50-over Women’s World Cup between March 4 and April 3, 2022. Mithali Raj & co will look to clinch their maiden title and exorcize the demons of 2005 and 2017. They lost in the final to Australia and England respectively in those two years.

Raj and Jhulan Goswami are the only players who were a part of the losing team in the 2005 and 2017 final. The upcoming edition will be their last shot at glory.

Does India have the arsenal to go all the way this time? They certainly do, but having said that, there are obvious chinks in their armor which they need to address. As was evident from the years gone by, India’s batting approach in the middle-overs needs a serious revamp. This is where the skills and experience of Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur come into play.

India have a world-beating opening duo in the form of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. In Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia, India have brilliant options at the No. 3 spot.

The top-order has consistently set the tone with a brisk start. But the defensive approach of Raj and Kaur, who has also struggled for consistency since the last World Cup, is a major cause for concern. It kills all the momentum of the innings. It also puts additional pressure on the likes of Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana in the lower middle-order.

Another chink that has been quite evident in the women’s set-up is poor fielding and catching. The inability to seize crucial moments is something that will once again be tested in knockout games.

India had a poor 2021 in ODI cricket as they lost bilateral rubbers to South Africa [home], England and Australia [away]. They were outplayed by South Africa. But the result of the series against England, and especially Australia, could easily have been different had the visitors latched on to the crucial moments.

Raj & co will play a five-match series against hosts New Zealand prior to the World Cup. The rubber will be their final opportunity to address the holes that exist in their game at the moment.

Sachin Tendulkar realized his dream of winning the World Cup in 2011 after waiting for more than two decades. Here's hoping the legendary duo of Mithali and Jhulan realize the same this year.

#2 Test series wins in South Africa & England

England v India - Second LV= Insurance Test Match: Day Five

2021 proved to be a watershed year for the Indian Test team. The No. 1 ranked side in the world scaled one obscure territory after another to establish their supremacy as the best side of the generation.

They failed to win the inaugural World Test Championship final, losing to New Zealand. But they had a fairytale series win in Australia and historic triumphs at Lord’s and Oval and Centurion. This, apart from their usual home dominance, made 2021 a landmark year for Indian cricket and its billions of fans.

2022 will be another opportunity for the Kohli-led side to finish what they started this past year. They will have the opportunity to win their maiden series in South Africa and their first win in England since 2007 galore.

India are currently leading 1-0 in the three-match Freedom Trophy against South Africa. If they manage to win one more match, they will become the first Asian team to win a series in both Australia and South Africa.

In July, Virat's team will travel to Edgbaston with the aim of extending their 2-1 lead in the fifth and final Test of the Pataudi Trophy.

If they manage to draw or win the rescheduled Test then Kohli will become the first Indian skipper to win a series in Australia, South Africa and England.

These triumphs will also mean that the current Indian side would have won a rubber in every Test playing nation (excluding Pakistan and Bangladesh) barring New Zealand.

#3 Virat Kohli to recover his mojo in Test cricket

England v India - Fourth LV= Insurance Test Match: Day Five

2021 was a successful year for Virat Kohli, the Test skipper, but the same can’t be said about his batting in the longest format of the game.

Lots have been written and said about Kohli’s ‘lean patch’ in international cricket since November 2019. And, while it’s true that he has struggled for consistency in Test cricket, the same can’t be said about his batting in white-ball formats.

Since the start of 2020, Kohli has been averaging 46.66 [560 runs in 12 innings] in ODIs and 49.50 [594 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 137.18] in T20Is. While he hasn’t managed to get a three-figure score, the champion cricketer has racked up 12 50-plus scores.

However, it’s in Test cricket where his numbers tell a grim story. It’s not that he has looked out of form. It’s a combination of playing on bowler-friendly tracks and questionable shot-selection, especially after getting set, which we normally don’t see with Virat.

In his last 25 innings [since the start of 2020], the Indian skipper has managed 652 runs at an average of 26.08 with five 50-plus scores. While he will eventually get his 71st hundred, it will be fitting if he gets that in the format he loves the most. Virat will play his 100th Test at Newlands. One can only hope he makes the historic day even more special by rolling back the glory days.

#4 An ICC trophy for the Indian men’s team

India v Afghanistan - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

The Indian men's team's wait for their first ICC trophy since winning the 2013 Champions Trophy continued this past year. The Men in Blue endured a forgettable campaign at the T20 World Cup after being knocked out in the group stage.

While India haven't won an ICC event since 2013, until this past T20 WC, they were the most consistent side in world events. They regularly qualified for the knockouts.

However, the recent event proved to be a complete shambles. Kohli's men lost to arch-rivals Pakistan for the first time in an ICC event. They then went down to perennial nemesis New Zealand to bow out in the group-stage.

2022 will offer another opportunity for the inaugural T20 WC champions to right the wrongs of the decade. They will look to claim silverware under the leadership duo of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid at the T20 WC in Australia.