India’s ODI World Cup odyssey factors to vibrant way forward for sustained success

All sporting campaigns begin with hope as the bottom. The conclusion will all the time vary between agony and ecstasy. In between the beginning and the tip lies the roller-coaster journey with athletes, followers, and the media, all going by a medley of feelings. India’s World Cup marketing campaign proved to be a sequence of excessive notes, as evident from 10 consecutive wins, however the final full cease was all about shock and tears.

Australia’s six-wicket victory over the Men in Blue within the closing at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19 but once more highlighted the intrinsic unpredictability throughout the sport. India was the ‘form-team’ with marauding batters led by skipper Rohit Sharma and a potent assault shining beneath Jasprit Bumrah.

The drive was with the unit as all opposition groups, together with Australia, have been vanquished within the round-robin league stage. By far, India was the perfect outfit, and even the defeat within the closing can not negate that fact.

Just that Australia, attuned to summit clashes, is a unique beast in climaxes. Its sixth World Cup title reiterated the innate metal inside its ranks, and skipper Pat Cummins, along with his mild smile and crinkly eyes, is a tricky competitor.

India has to relaxation content material with the 2 World Cups secured in 1983 and 2011, whereas its final vital ICC silverware was the Champions Trophy gained in 2013. A decade has lapsed, and whereas the nation has accomplished remarkably nicely within the willow sport, that game-changing title has remained elusive.

Into the long run: Shubman Gill could have had a subdued World Cup marketing campaign by his requirements, however the Indian batter is cricket’s subsequent large factor.
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PTI

They say historical past is written by the winners, however within the newest case, India, regardless of stumbling on the final hurdle, has discovered a template from which its future campaigns could be mounted. Credit is because of Rohit, who set such a breathless tempo as an opener within the PowerPlay overs that Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ok.L. Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav may bide their time for some time earlier than hitting the straps. It was the identical with the bowlers, as Bumrah and the 2 Mohammeds — Shami and Siraj — proved a handful within the PowerPlay overs, grabbing wickets and leaving rival batters shell-shocked. The shock and awe of the primary 10 overs, be it whereas batting or bowling, illustrated India as a novel outfit, charting recent paths. This amalgamation of expertise and expertise, technique, and execution seen from the Men in Blue was maybe the best that has been witnessed through the years.

Ever since Kapil Dev gained the 1983 World Cup, India has all the time had respectable ODI groups, even when, at instances, in some tournaments, the much-feted cricketers had their horror run, like, as an example, the 2007 World Cup within the Caribbean. Always a top-four contender, India did one higher this time round till operating into Australia within the closing. A destiny akin to what transpired when the 2 nations clashed within the 2003 closing in Johannesburg.

If cup glory defines legacies, then we shall be certain by slim confines, however the fact is that this specific group of males, with their designer beards and ‘process-driven’ quotes, shall be spoken about for a very long time. Rohit, the same old proprietor of ‘Daddy Hundreds’ in ODIs, was selfless in the best way he batted. “We start at zero, and I get a chance to set the tempo for my team,” he mentioned. The captain exactly did that every one by.

Perhaps if eventual centurion Travis Head hadn’t caught Rohit within the closing, there could have been a unique story to relate. Rohit’s 597 runs and Kohli’s 765 have been the sturdy pillars upon which India rested its batting phalanx.

Wrap him in cotton-wool: Jasprit Bumrah’s again harm stored him out of cricket for practically a yr, however he spearheaded the Indian assault with aplomb and incision within the World Cup.
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PTI

The others performed with refreshing freedom too, until the time they descended on a sluggish pitch in Ahmedabad, not conducive to free-flowing pictures.

In the chase and with dew kicking in, Australia had a sliver of luck because the Indians, particularly the spinners, struggled to grip the ball. Otherwise, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav had spun an online in all the opposite video games. Shami, who topped the wicket-taker’s listing with 24 scalps, confirmed how invaluable he’s to this group. It can also be exceptional that India may gloss over an injured Hardik Pandya’s absence.

Hardik will ultimately return, as will Rishabh Pant, and it might be that at the moment Rahul may get again to being the pure batter he needs to be, even when his wicket-keeping was excellent by the event.

Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja, R. Ashwin, and some others could also be nearer to their twilight in white-ball cricket. But on the proof of what was seen on the World Cup, India can construct afresh with Gill, Shreyas, Rahul, Suryakumar, Ishan Kishan, Hardik, Siraj, and the remaining.

Bumrah must be watched, too, however a nucleus to nurture could be very a lot there. Till the ultimate stretch, India provided unbridled pleasure, and coach Rahul Dravid calmly steered the ship from the background. He is almost definitely to maneuver on, and with some senior gamers additionally making means for kids, the transition is inevitable, particularly with the 2024 T20 World Cup scheduled within the West Indies and the United States of America.

Picture-perfect: Kane Williamson is dejected after being caught off the bowling of Mohammed Shami within the first semifinal on the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. 
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REUTERS

Still, perfection is elusive. Just like a fairytale end by no means materialised, India does have an space of concern. Fielding could be significantly better. The effort was good total, however India ought to aspire to subject like Australia did within the closing. Boundaries have been reduce, dot-balls have been imposed, and Indian batters have been consistently put beneath strain. Kohli, Jadeja, Gill, and Shreyas have been all good, and with the group about to have new personnel within the coming months, a robust fielding tradition is non-negotiable.

Years down the road, this specific Indian unit shall be regarded upon with awe.

The cricket was exhilarating, and this legacy must be emulated with maybe one important addition: performing higher within the finals. Now grief is washing over the Indian dressing room, however months down the road, these males will realise the type of cricket they performed, which was all sunshine and swagger. The Australians have been deserving champions; the Indians, although, gained hearts.