Before you proceed, part one of India can win the WTC provided can be read here.
Get the team combination perfect
This is imperative. In 2021, the team combination was flawed. On a seaming pitch under overcast conditions, India went in with two spinning all-rounders. Neither of them was required to bowl a lot of overs and as such, Kohli was limited to just 3 medium pace bowlers. How he would have loved to have a 4th seamer who could have kept the pressure on from one end?
The pitch at The Oval is likely to be similar to the Rose Bowl. The curator is likely to leave a lot of grass on the pitch. I am thinking along these lines because being an ICC event, it is they who will have a say on the pitch preparation. Neither India nor Australia or not even England will have any role to play. If the past events are anything to go by, ICC has tended to prepare a pitch that will help the bowlers.
Also, being early June, rain cannot be ruled out and hence overhead conditions will enable the ball to move. It will not be a typical Oval pitch where the batsmen prevail and the bowlers struggle.
I do not think that there is a need for a 5th bowler. Ofcourse, there is the possibility of one of the bowlers getting injured leaving Rohit with just 3 bowlers. Despite this, I would still want Rohit to take just 4 bowlers and pack the team with 6 batsmen. 6-1-4 must be the ideal combination. The game is unlikely to last beyond lunch on the 5th day because of the bowler friendly conditions that are likely to be found.
The openers, middle and lower order
Rohit and Gill are likely to open the innings unless the management plumps for experience and pick Rahul instead of Gill. Rohit has shown great ability as an opener but he will still start from zero. Gill on the otherhand, did not cover himself with glory in 2021 either. The Australian attack will pose much more questions than New Zealand did.
Pujara who is clearly past his prime will perhaps slot-in at number 3 followed by Kohli and Iyer. Now, the form of all the 3 is suspect though Kohli has just scored a mammoth 186. Shreyas Iyer is susceptible to the short-ball and is not likely to have improved on that front before June. Also, Shreyas’s back injury may flare up anytime and India cannot afford to take any risk. India must adopt the horses for courses theory and replace Shreyas. It will hurt the player’s ego but that is how it should be. This means that a couple of middle order slots are open.
It will be worth trying Surya in one of that slots but a good number 5 must be found quickly. The selectors must resist the urge to go back to Rahane who will be playing English County cricket irrespective of his performance. We have seen with Pujara that exceptional performance in County cricket will not necessarily translate into good Test match batting.
Bharat or Ishan? That is an interesting topic. With 6 batsmen, it will be prudent to select Ishan ahead of Bharat. He will be playing his shots which will be very much essential in a team that is almost full of blockers. 3 fast bowlers and Jadeja taking the lone spinner’s spot.
Rest the non-important players
Every Indian cricketer will be involved in the IPL. The load on the players will be enormous and it is likely that they will be tired heading into the finals. India just cannot afford that to happen. It has been 10 years since we won an ICC Trophy. We have already failed once in 2021 and must make this one count. Australia is tough but not unbeatable. Any cricketer who is unlikely to be part of the knock-outs, must be rested by the respective franchise. The board must make this mandatory and will have to inform the owners. It will enable the players to be fit and fresh both physically and mentally.
There are media reports that some players will leave for England earlier than planned. Leaving for England is onething but playing there is what will have an impact. Counties can be requested to accommodate some of the players though it may not be possible. Unless a Rohit or a Kohli turns up for a County, which will bring the Indian crowd into the stadium, they are unlikely to acquiesce.
Mental aspect
From time immemorial, whenever India travels abroad, the instinct is to bowl first if they win the toss. It is to discourage the opponent from taking advantage of the friendly bowling conditions. This shows a lack of confidence in the batsmen. Recently, this attitude has shifted ever so slightly. Unless and until the overhead conditions are likely to be advantageous to the bowlers to a great degree, India must resist the urge to bowl first. There is always something about runs on the board.
History has shown us that in India if their batsmen post a low score, the bowlers will fight like tigers and more often than not, have managed to restrict the opponents within manageable proportions. It is another matter that the batsmen have often squandered the brilliant efforts of the bowlers but batting first will remove a critical facet of the game where the pressure is the maximum. Chasing a competitive total in the 4th innings.
The mental aspect needs challenges. The Indian batsmen must believe that it does not really matter who the opponents are and what the conditions are like, they will bat first and post a decent enough score to be able to win the game.
Wrapping up India can win the WTC provided,
All said and done, the Indians must believe that they have it in them to win an ICC Trophy. Years of falling short just before the last hurdle must have affected the confidence of everyone involved in the team but by the looks of it, atleast for a few cricketers, Rohit, Kohli, Pujara, Shami, Jadeja, this final and the ODI World Cup this year will be their final chances to win that elusive trophy. They must leave no stone unturned to achieve victory in the WTC finals.
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