Bases India Need To Cover To Win The World Cup

The ODI Cricket World Cup is undoubtedly the most prestigious tournament in the history of the game with each team looking to win the trophy to make their country proud. With the next World Cup less than a year away, many teams are yet to bring a balance to their side and have plenty of problems to fix.

On paper, India look like one of the strongest teams with all the bases covered. However, that is not the case for the Men in Blue at all. They too have plenty of problems to fix before they begin their World Cup campaign. India might be the favourites, along with England, to win the competition, but they still have a few things to fix.

Here are five issues India need to address:

#1 Middle Order

India is a hub of batting talent, and it is pretty shocking to see a team such as India having troubles with the bat. One main problem for them over the last couple of years has been the problem of plenty.

There are numerous players fighting for one spot in the team because of which none of the players has been able to settle down and fit into the #4 and #5 spot for the team. Over the years, India has tried some options namely Manish Pandey, Yuvraj Singh, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, even the captain himself, Virat Kohli, but none of them has been the perfect fit for India.

Many times we have seen the Indian batting collapsing after the top 3 have been dismissed cheaply, which has cost India dearly. They need to have a solution for this as soon as possible for increasing their odds of winning the World Cup.

#2 Role Of MS Dhoni In The Team

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

As evident in the last few years, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not been as effective with his batting down the order as he was five years ago. The experience he brings to the team is massive and with him in the side, the chances of India winning the World Cup increase manifold.

Not only does he contribute with the bat but he is also excellent behind the stumps and a guiding light to Virat Kohli in leading the side as well. So, we cannot ignore the role of MSD in the success of Team India.

Many people believe that he is not good enough for the finishing role and want to see him bat at #4, but Indian team management seems to have closed the gates on that option altogether. Let's face it, Mahi is not the same finisher he used to be a few years back, and the extra runs he occasionally used to add to the team’s total in the back end of the innings seems to be rare these days.

So, Virat Kohli and the team management need to find a way to get the maximum output out of MS Dhoni with the bat.

#3 India's Pace Attack

India v South Africa - ICC Champions Trophy

Another thing India need to make a decision on is their main pacers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have proven their worth in the past and are sure shots for India in the playing XI. However, India still need to make a call on their third pacer.

Who should the management go with then? Should they select Umesh Yadav for the extra pace and bounce he brings to the bowling attack? Or should they go with the Mohammed Shami’s subtle bowling? Or should they bring a dedicated and disciplined youngster? Or will Hardik Pandya be able to fulfil the role of the third pace bowler?

#4 Sixth Bowling Option

Bangladesh v India - ICC Champions Trophy Semi Final

Another thing which has haunted Indians over the years is the sixth bowling option. You cannot expect all your five bowlers to always have an excellent day at the office; you still need a 6th bowling option in case one of your bowlers has taken a beating.

With the middle order problem already at hand, India does not even have an opportunity to go for five bowlers, five batsmen and an all-rounder. They need to have two all-rounders in the team to solve the woes of the team. Now here comes the primary question: who will be the answer to these problems?

India has tried Suresh Raina as their sixth bowling option but that did not work at all. Kedar Jadhav has been injury prone and missed the IPL 2018 due to a hamstring injury. He has, however, been selected for the Asia Cup 2018. Krunal Pandya is another player who is capable of filling the spot. So, again, Virat Kohli and the management need to make a quick call on their sixth bowling option.

#5 The Finishing Role

India v Pakistan - ICC Champions Trophy Final

Another batting related problem which India has faced over the years is who should be given the role of a finisher in the team? We have seen Mahendra Singh Dhoni playing the position for India so well in the past. The question now is should Hardik Pandya be given the role of the finisher of the team?

He certainly can hit the ball out of the park, but the problem with him is that he has been inconsistent. Should MS Dhoni continue to play the finishing role? He has not been the same old finisher we have gotten accustomed to seeing, but his experience while batting at #6 or #7 will surely come in handy especially when India are batting in the last ten overs, but again, he might not be as effective as the team want him to be.

Kedar Jadhav? The pocket dynamite is undoubtedly an underrated hitter of the ball, and we have already seen him get India out of quite a few impossible situations. India need to make sure that they know who their finisher is before going into the World Cup.