Looking ahead into 2015 World Cup- A brief analysis

The World Cup 2015 is just five and a half months away so it’s less than 200 days left for the biggest cricket extravaganza to commence. While that might seem still a long way ahead, it is that time when questions are popping up in the minds of Indian cricket fans Will we be able to defend the world cup? Do we have the caliber to do that? Do we have players who are capable enough to win the world cup for us? Will we be able to do well down under? Is M.S.D the best man to lead the side for the world cup? Do we go in with the same coach and support staff ??
These are few questions that would be going through the minds of every devoted Indian cricket fan.

So here we come up with an analysis of India’s performances in the recent past and try to draw a conclusion which would give everyone a vision of India’s prospects in the 2015 World cup.

Recent performances :
India will take a lot of confidence from the ODI series win in England going in to the world cup. The most important aspect of the win was that it was a combined team efforts and youngsters chipped in with some amazing performances. Ajinkya Rahane was perhaps the biggest find of the tour. We don’t need to worry too much about the opening slot if he can score consistently at the top. Shikhar Dhawan getting his touch back after the disastrous test series was also a big positive for the team. It would be very clinical for him to perform as well if the Indian team has to get good starts in the world cup.

Virat Kohli too was looking his usual best in the half-century knock he played in the lone T20 match in England. He would only emerge as a better player from his recent rough patch in test cricket.

Support staff :
The inclusion of Ravi Shastri as the team director is probably the best thing that has happened to Indian cricket in a long time. He is someone who is aware of the Indian cricket fraternity from the core. Knows each player personally and has a good rapport with the team and the Indian captain. He is the man who might be able to help Indian cricket greatly in the times to come. Shastri is expected to play a major role in assisting Duncan Fletcher and MS Dhoni to pick the best possible team for the World cup.

Role of the Captain :
Ms Dhoni would be the most important cog in the wheel for India’s hopes with the world cup. He is the one whose role would be to instill confidence among the youngsters in the team. Dhoni needs to make them believe that they are capable enough to defend the cup they won in 2011. He needs to lead from the front and believe in his instincts to make the best possible decisions for the team. If he can be like the same MSD who led India to the world cup in 2011, then there is no question why India can’t win the world cup for the second time in a row.
Team Combination

The ideal team combination going into the 2015 world cup would be a blend of youth and experience. While the batting department is looking quite settled, it is the bowling and the all-rounder’s department which is a bit of a cause of concern for the team management. We are still struggling to find a genuine all-rounder for the team. Irfan Pathan has done this fantastically well in the past few years but his constant injuries hasn’t helped his cause. The next in line for contention of this spot is R Jadeja who has had a fairly good patch in ODI cricket in the past few series. What works as an advantage for him is that he enjoys the confidence of his skipper.

The spin department is very likely to be led by R Ashwin and R Jadeja to deputy him. Youngsters like Karn Sharma and Yajuvender Chahal might also get the reward of their good domestic performances with a look in. The pace battery will surely see Varun Aaron (if he stays fit),Umesh Yadav for the pace element he brings in, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar for their swing abilities. Not to forget Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma not only for the experience they possess of Aussie conditions but also the fact that they are able leaders and a pack of raw pacers without a leader could well miss fire.

The most important thing for our fast bowlers would be to remain fit throughout the World cup as a break-down mid way might hit the team adversely. The BCCI would need to rotate them in the best possible way to make that happen.
The need of the hour for the Indian team is to forget about the past and focus on the job at hand which is to retain the world cup. The youngsters need to believe in themselves and express themselves to the best of their ability in the World cup. If we are able to perform to best of our abilities, there are surely great days ahead for Indian Cricket.