Power Ranking the 2019 World Cup Teams

2. India

England v India - 1st ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Perhaps if India would have prevailed in the third deciding ODI against England, then they would be ranked top in these rankings. Yet that series managed to expose some of the main flaws in the team which prevent it from being the favorites for the 2019 World Cup.

Firstly, the tendency of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to play needless shots early in their innings may be problematic in knockout cricket. Moreover, the series showed that India’s fast bowling reserves behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah continue to be weak as the likes of Siddarth Kaul were thrashed by the English batsmen.

Yet, the biggest problem is one that plagues many of the teams in this tournament: the batting order after No.3. As was painfully evident in the England series, MS Dhoni is no longer a finisher in the modern ODI game (though he may still be useful as an accumulator). Meanwhile, the likes of Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik failed to take advantages of the chances given to them.

However, it is also pertinent to recognize what makes this team so outstanding and why they have managed to beat the likes of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia over the past two years. Sharma, Dhawan and Virat Kohli form an incredible top order which can dominate any bowling attack. The potential in players like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer also bodes well for their middle order.

For once, India also have a bowling attack that matches their batting prowess. Kumar and Bumrah are two players that can bowl well both with the new ball and at death. Moreover, the spin guile of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendhra Chahal is dangerous in any conditions. Thus while India have major weaknesses, they are still strong enough to be considered one of the favorites.