ICC Cricket World Cup: What should be India's bowling combination in the tournament? 

Cricket fans across the world are eagerly waiting for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, which will take place in England and Wales. India is going into the tournament as one of the favorites after dominating the 50 over format over the last few years.

Unlike the previous Indian ODI teams, who were mainly dependant on the batsman to script famous victories, this present team is one with great balance. Both the batting and bowler unit are full of match winners. Alongside the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan; bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are game changers.

The present bowling lineup is one of the best bowling attacks in the history of Indian cricket. On the basis of their impressive performance over the last few years, most of the bowlers have sealed their spot in the 15 member squad.

However, choosing the bowling lineup for the playing XI will be a headache for the team management. In the current squad, there are a lot of contenders for the five bowling spots.

Depending upon the opposition and the condition of the pitch, there are a few different combinations that India can possibly choose from.

In this article we look at those different combinations that India can opt for, at the different stages of the tournament.

Scenario 1: Pitch is Pacer Friendly or the Opposition is an Asian Team

Asian teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan have been traditionally weak against pace and swing. So in a match against them or on a pacer friendly pitch, going with four pacers and one spinner is the ideal option. For the lone spinner's spot, Kuldeep Yadav should get the nod ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal, as he possesses better variety.

Mohammed Shami

Probable Bowling Lineup:

Bowlers: Bhuveshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav

All-Rounder: Hardik Pandya

Scenario 2: If the Pitch is Placid

Jasprit Bumrah

If the pitch is placid, like most ODI wickets are these days, then India should opt for attack consisting of two pacers and two spinners with Hardik Pandya as the 3rd pacer. On a flat wicket, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav are automatic choices as they have the ability to take wickets on any kind of surface. For the 2nd pacer's spot, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a better choice than Mohammed Shami due to him being a better death over bowler. Shami has the tendency to leak runs in the final overs.

Probable Bowling Lineup:

Bowlers: Bhuveshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav

All-Rounder: Hardik Pandya

Scenario 3: If the Pitch is Spinner Friendly

Ravindra Jadeja

If the pitch in dry and slow, then India can play Ravindra Jadeja as a 3rd spinners. On such wicket, spinners are usually very effective in ODI's. Moreover, Jadeja is extremely dangerous on a pitch having turn in it. Hence, in such conditions, Jadeja is a better option than Hardik Pandya for the team.

Probable Bowling Lineup:

Bowlers: Bhuveshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav

All-Rounder: Ravindra Jadeja