3 min read
Introduction
It was way back in the 1987 World Cup that India had the luxury of playing 2 quality of seam-bowling all-rounders. And 32 years on, they have the same luxury once again. In no way am I saying that Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar are the same as Kapil Dev and Roger Binny ( they can’t be as well; not yet.) Another interesting trivia is that the last time India went with 2 seam bowling all-rounders to England for a World Cup, it was in 1983. No point there, just a trivia for you. The result of 2 seam-bowling all-rounders, dare I say, is that India looks lies a 3-dimensional side. I’d say get your 3-D glasses on. *no sarcasm intended*
Mihir’s SWOT Analysis
strengths
- First things first, it is a 3-dimensional side. It is not the only side like that in the tournament but associating 2 quality seam-bowling all-rounders with an Indian team gets me excited.
- India posses one of the best, if not the best varied bowling attacks of the tournament. And this for me is the biggest strength of all because for batting -friendly pitches, you need great bowlers and for bowling-friendly pitches, you need great batsmen and great bowlers.
- India has a solid bench strength as well.
weaknesses
- I would say that the amount of one-day practice or England-specific practice that Team India has had is not sufficient. Although Indians aren’t known for their rigorous amount of active games before a long tour/tournament, it could hamper them for a global tournament as this.
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opportunities
- The only thing that can’t be defined on paper is the outcome of execution. And if India are to able to exhibit consistency in their tactics and execution, I see this team going a long way.
- Given the dynamic range of their squad, they have the potential to be unpredictable, which is a huge opportunity in a game of tactics.
threats
- When it comes to World tournaments, India have been guilty of dominating the league stages and faltering in the knockouts. That is their biggest threat.
- Another threat is frequent changes to their playing XI for reasons other than injuries/conditions.
key player
Mohammad Shami –> With Bhuvneshwar Kumar most like to be a replacement bowler (or the 3rd seamer at best) and Jasprit Bumrah to be entrusted with death bowling, it will be Shami’s knack of making early inroads and breaking partnership that India will find most useful.
prediction
A top-4 finish is on the cards for India given the kind of reputation, form and confidence this team carries with itself. Getting into good habits as soon as possible and exhibiting consistency can help this team take a couple of steps further.
Roster
Schedule
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