5 reasons why the Indian team will be extremely worried now

Almost all experts predicted that India would go on to win the ICC World T20 2016 this year. Coming to the tournament on the back of a great run of form and a successful Asia Cup campaign, India must have been very confident against the Black Caps.But a chastening defeat has now thrown the tournament wide open. It is not just the loss but the manner of the loss that has particularly hurt India badly. A lot of uncomfortable questions are being raised and India needs to address these issues fast to get their campaign back on track.Here are 5 reasons why the India team will be extremely worried now:

#1 Weakness against spin bowling

India could not deal with New Zealand’s spinners

When the Nagpur pitch first offered some spin against the Kiwis, the Indians were licking their lips in glee. But things took a turn for the worse as the Black Caps beat the Indians at their own game.

Ashwin, India's standout bowler in the last few years, looked flat and conceded runs. Ravindra Jadeja spun the ball and lacked control. Only Suresh Raina was a surprise package as he put in four really good overs.

The Kiwi spinners were at their very best as Santner, Sodhi and McCullum combined between them to pick nine Indian wickets. The most curious thing was the way the Indians collapsed under pressure. There weren't many runs to get and more of application than unfounded aggression was required.

The Indians went at the deliveries with hard hands and paid the price in the process. No Indian batsman was prepared to wait and play on the backfoot. Nor did they try to step out and kill the spin. Thus, they ended up on the front foot, jabbing hard at deliveries.

There is a strong belief among pundits that contrary to popular expectation, the current Indian batsmen are not good at playing spin. The days of classical batsmanship as represented by Dravid and Laxman are long over.

Used to getting flat tracks where you can heave deliveries or play through the line, the current Indian batsmen typically struggle in spin-friendly conditions. Bowlers like Moeen Ali and Imran Tahir have troubled India in the recent past.

Question marks also remain over team selection and captaincy. Should Ashwin have been held back to control the middle overs? Could India have played an extra spinner in Harbhajan Singh or Pawan Negi in place of Hardik Pandya in spin-friendly conditions? Whatever is the case, the myth that India can use spin-friendly tracks to bully the other countries has now been busted.

#2 No added home advantage

Most teams have a good set of spinners

Experts and popular perceptions have predicted that India are heavy favourites for the tournament. One reason for such a prediction is India have been in brilliant form of late. The other reason obviously is that India will enjoy home advantage.

After India suffered a humbling defeat against the Kiwis, the issue of home advantage should perhaps be re-examined. Playing at home, India will obviously have the support of the crowd which can never be underestimated. Thousands cheering you on is enough to get the adrenaline pumping.

But in terms of the conditions, it is difficult to believe that India will have an added advantage since they know the conditions better. A lot of cricket is played in the sub-continent nowadays. Also, a lot of good players have played in the IPL and are therefore extremely familiar with the conditions.

If India can no longer hold a sway over other teams even in spin-friendly conditions, then the issue of home advantage gets nullified. A lot of teams have good spinners in their ranks and a packed batting order. The tournament is going to be tougher for India than we initially thought.

#3 Questions over the form of the middle order

Suresh Raina hasn’t played well for a while

For the last few tournaments, the form of the Indian middle order has been questionable. Virat Kohli has been the standout pivot in the middle order and MS Dhoni coming in the lower middle order has not done too badly in the few chances he has got.

The problem has been that Suresh Raina, who is a prolific T20 batsman, has not fired consistently enough for some time now. Yuvraj Singh on a comeback trail has shown glimpses of his old self at times. But there is a belief now that Yuvraj is in the team more as a finisher and an all-rounder.

Whenever the team has had a solid foundation, batsmen like Raina and Yuvraj have added the finishing touches well. But in tough situations where a little more application is required, their form remains questionable so far.

The man with the calming influence, Ajinkya Rahane, has no place in the team for now. India have chosen to go in with an all-rounder in the form of Hardik Pandya and so far, he has been brilliant with the ball. But Pandya's form with the bat, except a good cameo in the Asia Cup, has been found wanting.

Pandya can swing hard and hit the ball a mile if need be. But too often, his technique has been exposed as he has been caught plumb in front of the wicket or his stumps shattered. Can India count Pandya on as a genuine batsman in times of crisis?

#4 Over-reliance on Virat Kohli

Kohli is the go-to guy for India

In the 90s, there was a popular conception that India were a one-man team when it came to batting. If Sachin Tendulkar got out, India knew that there was not much left to play for. Television sets were turned off and the audience gave up hope when the little maestro departed.

The great strength of the Indian team in the new millennium is the presence of quality players now who can all win a match single-handedly. For the first time once again, however, there is an over-reliance on one man. Kohli is now the pivot in the Indian middle order and the opposition knows that getting him out is delivering a huge blow to India's chances.

In numerous times in the past and most recently in the Asia Cup, Kohli has been bailing India out of trouble. He has been holding the middle order together for some time now. While chasing, Kohli enjoys an unreal average of over 80 in T20Is which shows that he has had a part to play in almost all successful Indian run-chases.

Against New Zealand, even as India kept losing wickets, there was hope that Kohli would pull India through. The moment he departed, things were as good as over for India. But Kohli is also human and he can't win matches for India every day. This over-reliance on a single man might harm India's chances in the long run.

#5 Group of death and poor net run-rate

Dhoni will be worried

It is easy to say that India has just had a bad day in the office and will bounce back soon. As tournament favourites, India are still expected to go all the way. But disconcerting questions have sprung up about what if India embarrassingly fail to make it past the group stages?

There are not too many matches to play in this tournament and India are in the proverbial group of death along with New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In such a group, every match counts.

New Zealand have turned the tables on India and surprised them in the very first match. Australia are going to be India's toughest opponents and title contenders. Bangladesh are no longer the minnows and a force to reckon with in these conditions. The Pakistani batting line-up is in red-hot form after their performance against Bangladesh today.

In such a tough group, it often comes down to the net run-rate calculations. India then have a good reason to be worried as their heavy defeat to the Kiwis have now plunged their net run-rate to -2.350. This means that India will have to start not just winning but winning well to get past the group stages.