Team India’s record in the ICC events has been quite underwhelming in the last 10 years. After MS Dhoni led the side to a Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, India have lost as many as four ICC tournament finals and bowed out in the semi-finals on numerous occasions.
With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 around the corner, many feel that the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team has a great opportunity to end the global title drought in home conditions.
The 50-over World Cup, featuring 10 teams, is slated to be held in India from October 5 to November 19.
Speaking to Sky Sports, former England skipper Nasser Hussain opined that India have got a balanced squad but they will need to play “fearless cricket” to win the World Cup, especially after reaching the knockout stage.
“They are the favourites but I will not call them the clear favourites just because the amount of quality sides there are in the tournament,” Nasser said.
Commenting on the strengths of the Indian squad, Hussain said they have got two all time great white-ball batters (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) in their ranks and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s return after the injury has bolstered their team.
“If you look at the squad I mean they have got two of the greatest white ball batters, there has ever been in the game. Rohit Sharma with three double hundreds in this format and Virat Kohli, a great player in any situation but greatest player in a run chase you would want.
“You have got possibly one of the future greats in Shubman Gill, he is a real talent. Jasprit Bumrah coming back for them is an outstanding bonus because he bowls in all phases of the game. I think that batting line -up and the bowlers they have is right up there one of the best squad in the tournament,” he said.
Nasser Hussain also pointed out the weakness, citing that Indian batters don’t bowl and their bowlers don’t bat.
“What they probably lack is if you look at their batters, their batters don’t bowl and their bowlers don’t bat. So it’s a different make up to their side to be with an England with all the all-rounders or Australia with all the all-rounders,” he said.
In the end, Nasser highlighted India’s recent failures in ICC events and said that the team will have to find a way to deliver when the pressure is on.
“The other thing that they will have to overcome is the pressure. Now you would argue that an Indian cricketer is under pressure all the time. But where they have fallen short maybe since 2011 (2013) in the ICC events is when they reach to knockout stage.
“We’re there at the Adelaide in the World T20, they scored a below par score against England and England knocked them off. In the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand on a pitch that was doing a little bit prodded along.
“They got to go above par they have got to play a bit of fearless cricket, when you are get to the knockouts stage. I think they are in the knockout stage, when they got to a semifinal and the pressure is on that’s when they still need to play fearless cricket,” he remarked.
India will open their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign against five-time champions Australia in Chennai on October 8.
