Reality check before World Cup
Once every four years, millions of Indian cricket fans’ hopes shoot up. That’s how it has been ever since Kapil Dev held aloft the World Cup on the famous Lord’s balcony in 1983. Irrespective of the team’s state and its standing in world cricket, Indians inevitably start getting their hopes up when the competition approaches. The success of MS Dhoni’s 2011 bunch has heightened expectations. Those who follow the fortunes of the team are not ready to settle for anything other than the top prize.
It’s no different this time, as Virat Kohli’s boys head into the tournament as the No. 2 team in the world and one of the favourites. While the Men in Blue have done enough in the last two years to raise hopes, it is important to be realistic too. The Indian team has beaten all other opponents, but not been successful against England, who are No. 1 in ICC world rankings in the 50-over format. It’s also important to note that England is the only country where India’s win-loss ratio dipped to 50:50 in the period when they dominated all other teams and won series in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Then there are factors like over-dependence on Kohli and the openers. Records reveal the team flops when the top three fail. There is also a question mark in the middle-order, as it’s still not certain who will bat in the crucial No. 4 position.
Does this mean India doesn’t have a good chance? Not quite, considering that the bowling unit under Kohli is among the best in the world right now. This is a major change in a country known for producing world-class batsmen, but not bowlers good enough to make an impact overseas. Thanks to Jasprit Bumrah & Co, this has changed. It is because of them that for the first time India is going to the World Cup with a better set of bowlers than batsmen. With sufficient runs on the board, these bowlers can make the difference between teams. So there are reasons to be optimistic, without losing sight of the reality.