It has been ten years since India last won a trophy from the International Cricket Council (ICC), and with the 50-over World Cup scheduled to take place in India over the months of October and November, two questions arise.
The most apparent question is: after Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s six in the final over in 2011 became the iconic image of India’s victory in 2011, could this year once again be India’s year? And much less frequently: Is the game of cricket in India undergoing a period of transition?
In the world of athletics, change rarely occurs all at once. When there has been a run of consistent successes, it is possible that some of the more experienced players will step aside to make room for the younger players. However, failure is the catalyst for change the majority of the time.
The year 2022 was an average one for India, as they were victorious in around 58% of the Tests and ODIs they competed in, while also taking home 70% of their Twenty20 contests. They are now in contention to participate in the title game of the World Test tournament later this year, and they are the favorites to win the World Cup.
In spite of this, there is a nagging sensation that India did not play up to its potential. Both the top hitters and the bowlers have had a difficult time, and the bowling has not always been inspiring. The situation has become much more difficult as a result of injuries sustained by important players. There are problems with India’s performance in all three forms, despite the fact that they are ranked second in Tests, first in Twenty20s, and fourth in ODIs respectively. This situation might suit the needs of some of the teams just fine.
The fact that India is expected to win everything is a source of disappointment for the millions of people who look to successes in cricket as a way to compensate for failures in other aspects of their own lives. India is supposed to win everything.
A significant portion of the issue is the scheduling, which necessitates the playing of an excessive number of matches in order to satiate the insatiable appetite of the television industry. In the year of the World Cup, as well as following the most recent Twenty20 World Cup, for example, it was unnecessary to play all of those Twenty20 matches just now.
Before the end of March, India will host nine one-day international matches (ODIs) against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Australia. They will, in essence, be competing against themselves, with the goals of finding the optimal batting lineup, ensuring that players get adequate rest (the Indian Premier League comes after the series against Australia), and attending to injuries in the most effective manner possible. When I heard Chetan Sharma, the chief of selection, mention that it was concerning that the injured fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah might have been hurried into competition too soon, I became concerned.
India plays four Tests against the top of the table, Australia, at home. Considering that only Sri Lanka and South Africa are still in the running for the tournament, India is in an excellent position to make it to the final.
In November, it will have been ten years since Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from professional cricket and ushered in the end of an era of Indian cricket that was given his name. It is interesting to note that seven players from his most recent test are still participating in international competition and doing well. Virat Kohli is 34 years old, while Ravichandran Ashwin is 37, and Cheteswar Pujara is just a few days away from turning 35. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Shikhar Dhawan are 34 years old, whereas Shikhar Dhawan is 37.
Either the younger players are not trying hard enough to break into the major league, or if they are, they are having to wait longer than some of these players did in order to do so before they were successful in doing so.
Arshdeep Singh, a left-arm medium pacer, will turn 24 the following month, and Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s most exciting batsman in Twenty20, will be 32. Suryakumar Yadav has a chance of making it into the Test squad for the home series, especially if the top order is unable to exert its dominance.
In white-ball cricket, India is seeking for either an all-rounder or, at the at least, one of the top five batsmen in the world who can also bowl. This role is filled by Hardik Pandya, Jadeja, and Axar Patel, who is making progress in the shorter versions of the game. India has historically had difficulty competing in one-day internationals (ODIs) when there are insufficient bowling options available, just as they did most recently against Bangladesh in the series that they dropped.
If India was to learn anything from their loss in the Twenty20 World Cup, it should be this: T20 is a young man’s game. It was a fluke that India was able to win the title in 2007, and it was also a fluke that India was able to beat Pakistan in their maiden match in Melbourne the year before. When a team achieves success only by chance, it runs the risk of being self-deluded about its abilities.
The moment has come to give the Twenty20 format its own distinct identity, complete with its very own captain, its very own group of specialised players, its very own coach, and its very own support team. That was done by England, and they have seen the benefits of it. The distinction in cricket is not made between the red ball and the white ball, but rather between the longer forms of the game, such as tests and one-day internationals, and the shorter forms, such as Twenty20 matches.
T20 coaches ought to be from a generation that is familiar with the way the game is played. It is more crucial to have data analysts than it is to have instructors who correct your cover drive.
In one-day international cricket, India does not yet have a team that is fully cohesive, but they have plenty of time to iron out the kinks before the World Cup. Before the team can be inspired, someone would need to perform at the same level as Yadav did in the T20 match; it could even be Yadav himself.
In the beginning, players need to be encouraged and made to feel as though they are an integral part of the squad. One approach to avoid doing this is to not play the left-arm spinner Kuldip Yadav in the second test match in Bangladesh, despite the fact that he was named Player of the Match in the first test match. The wrist spinner is a more harder proposition than the finger spinner, and recently, bowlers who use this type of spin have been successful.
The coach and the captain are continuously tasked with addressing the issue of balance, and this is true regardless of the structure of the competition. Do you play the role of the additional batsman or the man who is in charge of the bits and pieces, who occasionally has a good day? Do you go with an alternate wicketkeeper in the hopes that he won’t let you down by dropping catches while he’s trying to score runs for you? Two finger spinners, one finger and one wrist spinner, or an extra medium pacer? Those are your options.
And what about the sacred animals? Do veteran players come with a sign that says, “I dare you to drop me” printed on their backs? Should one take that into consideration?
Unfortunately, just like life, cricket moves forward, but its rules and nuances can only be comprehended by looking back. After India’s final match, everyone will know whose team is the best!