Indian cricket team knew their weakness even before the series began. We had a strong top order with ICC ODI number 1 and number 2 batsmen, a World class bowling line-up led by Jasprit Bumrah and if ever there was a soft underbelly to this team, it was the middle order of that batting line up.
We had discussed the number 4 issue for so long, tried a few players in the spot and we never really had a backup plan in case if the top order didn’t fire. So based on the performance of the middle order in the WC, it could well be the end of the road for a few players- particularly Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik.
Both of them, in whatever limited opportunities they got, never looked equipped to handle the challenges thrown at them in overseas conditions. Karthik made a forgettable 6 off 25 in the semifinal against NZL. With the T 20 World cup in sight, India would want a more assuring, fresh middle order and shouldn’t be so hard since there is no dearth of talent in this country.
But what would be the real key is to provide them with ample opportunities to win the next big events. Also, Vijay Shankar, who’s all-round abilities did not quite click in the tournament may find his comeback tough too. India would be happy that Pandya is developing into a 10 over bowler.
MS Dhoni will not be seen in another 50 over World Cup and there are a lot of criticisms raised against his slow batting style. There are reports that he will soon hang up his boots although its a call he has to make.
The T 20 World cup will be held in Australia next year and the selection committee, led by MSK Prasad, will have their focus on building a team for the T 20 challenges.
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