5 problems India must address before the 2019 World Cup

#5 Who is the finisher?

CRICKET-ENG-IND-ODI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been one of the best finisher’s in world cricket for a long time. But it is no secret that his finishing abilities are on the wane and he needs time to get himself going. But India have persisted with him at No. 6. Hardik Pandya has more often than not come in at No. 7. There’s no doubt that Pandya has the ability but hasn’t been consistent enough.

Suresh Raina didn’t have a great ODI series. Dinesh Karthik, who played the role of a finisher in the Nidahas Trophy and the subsequent IPL, hasn’t got a lot of opportunities. Jadhav has more or less been the No. 5/6 finisher for India but even he has lost his form and fitness and has found himself in rehab since April this year. Shreyas Iyer was tried at No. 5 in South Africa after Kedar Jadhav got injured.

Hence, with Raina struggling and Jadhav currently not in the scheme of things, India might well need to bat Dhoni at 5 and find a finisher at 6. Maybe they could give Karthik more opportunities. Yes, that would mean that India might not have a sixth bowling option but with the World Cup nearing, India need to solve the issues that are plaguing them.