CWC 2019: Five areas of concern in the Indian squad

"No one is perfect." Well, this argument applies not only to an individual but to every group as well. While there might be a plethora of positives, there are still some glitches in everything. And this point is true for India's 15-member squad that has been selected for the upcoming ICC World Cup to be held in England as well.

On 15th April 2019, the Board of Control of Cricket in India announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming World Cup 2019. The most prestigious ICC tournament will commence on 30th May. India will begin as a favorite to lift the trophy. While the squad looks totally balanced, there are still some problems that the Men in Blue might face in the mega event.

Let us take a look at a few of those problems.

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#1 Absence of much-required firepower in the lower order

Hardik Pandya will have the onus to provide a finish.

India does not possess any good finisher other than Hardik Pandya. In England, the decks are usually flat, meaning the last 10 overs have to yield 90-100 runs. If a settled batsman is playing alongside him, then this is certainly possible. If not, then he will have to take this responsibility alone.

And if he fails to deliver, then the matters will become worse for the Indians. Pandya has been in the form of his life in IPL 2019. He has given finishing touches to the team in almost every match. But as we have seen, he has always been supported by either of Krunal Pandya or Kieron Pollard.

India will expect him to repeat the same in this World Cup as well. They will also expect MS Dhoni to play the supportive role to him. He has come back among runs in the IPL, and he also has been giving finishing touches to his team.

#2 Lack of a genuine batsman at the crucial No. 4 spot

Vijay Shankar has had a horrendous season with the bat in IPL 2019

If we look at the past, then Virat Kohli was India's No. 4 batsman when India last won a World Cup in 2011. Undoubtedly, there is no doubt over Vijay Shankar's all-round abilities, but choosing him as your No. 4 (a spot which is a genuine batting spot) seems a bit questionable. More importantly, his performance in this IPL this year has been forgettable.

Shankar has never played in England, nor has he any experience of playing at this spot. Yes, India has MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, and KL Rahul as the backups for this position, but we can't ignore that the latter two haven't enjoyed a good run of form in international cricket.

If India would have chosen Rishabh Pant or Ambati Rayadu as the No. 4, then they could have had a better structured batting line-up.

#3 Batsmen's struggle against swing

Shikhar Dhawan and other players need to perform better against swing

When India last toured England, no player other than Virat Kohli looked comfortable against swing. In the 4th ODI between NZ and India, India was bundled out for 92 on a pitch, where the ball was swinging.

This clearly proves that there has been no relief for India's batsman against swing even now. In the overcast conditions of England, the ball generally tends to move, no matter what is the nature of the pitch. KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and MS Dhoni particularly look helpless.

Therefore, Indian batsmen, especially the openers, will need to stay well prepared to tackle such conditions. This is because the onus of the batting will mainly rely on the top 3, and if they get out early like in the Champions Trophy Final in 2017, then India lose half of the match there only.

#4 Ravindra Jadeja's ineffectiveness on flat decks

Jadeja might not be able to create much impact on English pitches

Over the past few years, England has proven to be a graveyard for finger spinners. Wrist spinners can turn the ball as they are not dependent on the nature of the pitch, but for finger spinners, assistance from the pitch is a must. We all know that Ravindra Jadeja bowls with comparatively higher speed than others, and tries to fire in the line of the three stumps, using many variations of pace and angles rather than spin.

On the flat turfs, the ball will generally come on to the bat properly, and there would be no spin. This might make him relatively ineffective in England. Although his place in the playing XI looks unlikely, he might be roped in if an injury prevails.

Therefore, it is absolutely essential for him to develop some out-of-the-box strategies, otherwise, he might be taken on demand as he was in that CT final after which he had to face the axe.

#5 Recent IPL form of a few players

Bhuvneshvar Kumar will play Enter caption

Although IPL wasn't a parameter for selection, it can certainly be a parameter for judging the form of the players. And shockingly, the performance of numerous players have been forgettable. Vijay Shankar, who has been chosen as India's No. 4, has had a horrendous season so far.

The case has been same for India's best swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He will have the onus for taking early wickets, and if he won't be able to do so, it will play a spoilsport India's hopes of winning the World Cup. Players like Kuldeep Yadav, Dinesh Karthik, and Kedar Jadhav have also disappointed. Rohit Sharma has also been in an indifferent form considering his stature.

Fortunately, half of the IPL is still left, meaning that these players have got sufficient time to get back to form. Every player will play an important role in India's campaign, and the poor form of any of these will put the team one step behind.