Only 15 players can get selected in a World Cup squad. Once the Indian contingent for the 2023 World Cup was announced, social media platforms erupted with millions of discussions about whether X could have been picked, or Y should have been left out. So, what are the major takeaways? Have India struck the right balance? Let’s try to delve deeper to find the answers.
Most members of the squad pick themselves, but there was enough competition for a few places. One of the dilemmas the team management had was whether to strengthen the batting unit by picking a bowling all-rounder, or to include a specialist spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal?
Axar Patel, the one who got the nod, will add heft to the batting line-up. A few technical changes seem to have helped Axar upgrade his batting skills. His stance is a little more front-on while facing fast bowlers, and he can launch more shots through the on-side and straight down the ground. His record in the last few years vindicates the improvements Axar has made to his batting – he averages a tick over 29 in ODIs, and 41.75 in Tests since the start of 2022.
Incidentally, Ricky Ponting, his coach at Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, said to ICC Review: “I’ve known Axar for a long time and he was only a young boy in the squad at Mumbai when I first went there. I’ve known that there’s been a certain amount of batting skill there that really, apart from the last couple of years, he hadn’t really been showing at IPL level or even at international level.
“There were a few little technique changes that we made with him. We just opened up his hips and his shoulders a little bit. So he was a bit more chest-on towards the right-arm fast bowlers.”
Axar, who made his ODI debut way back in 2014, has played just 26 ODIs. With India having good spin-bowling stocks, his chances were always going to be limited. Perhaps now is the time for him to take his game to a different zone in the 50-over format. Although he may not always find a place in the XI.
So, where does that leave Chahal? At 33, it seems like a tough road ahead for the leg-spinner who was once India’s first-choice white-ball slow bowler. Although Chahal has maintained a reasonably good average of 27.91 since the beginning of 2022 in ODIs, it felt as if batters were increasingly targeting him. He didn’t seem to be imparting enough revs on the ball. Moreover, Chahal doesn’t bring much to the table as a batter or fielder. Ultimately, it seems like the right decision to leave him out.
“Need to create that depth and that was lacking in recent past,” Rohit Sharma said at the press conference to announce the squad. “Depth in batting – No. 8 and 9 positions get very crucial. It is very important for 8, 9 and 10 to contribute with the bat.
“We ended up scoring 265 against Pakistan. We could have ended up scoring 10-15 more runs.”
There is also a lot of focus on Shardul Thakur’s selection. Just like Axar, Shardul bolsters the batting with his pyrotechnics. He has also bagged the most wickets for India in the ODI format since the 2019 World Cup, The seam-bowling all-rounder isn’t afraid to vary his length and pace – short deliveries to knuckle balls, and three-quarter-seam ones.
India also had the option of picking Prasidh Krishna. He would have added variety to the bowling line-up with his hit-the-deck skills. On tracks that tend to stay on the lower side, Prasidh could have been an asset to the Indian side. Having said that, he is basically a tail-ender. From a certain perspective, India seem to have made a mistake by not including Prasidh. But Shardul has put in some top-notch performances in the last four years and deserves a place in the squad.
Suryakumar Yadav’s selection over Sanju Samson is perhaps the most controversial of the lot. Despite scaling rarefied zones in T20s, Suryakumar has largely found himself wading through a quagmire in the 50-over format, averaging just 24.33 after playing 26 games. It seems as if he is still understanding how to go about playing in the 50-over format. In ODI cricket, it isn’t just about having a wide range of shots, but the batter has to be adept at pacing an innings and finding the right tempo.
Perhaps the Indian management believes Suryakumar has the firepower to compile a quick-fire knock in a knock-out game. Simply put, they look at him as a game-breaker. Samson, though, would believe he has been hard done by, having performed creditably in the 50-over format.
India also would be sweating a bit over the fitness of KL Rahul. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has returned to the side after a serious back injury. Even though he looked in fine touch in his brief stay against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023, there would be a question mark or two over whether he can get back into his groove.
Barring a selection or two, India seem to have picked the best available squad. Eventually, to lift their first ICC trophy in more than a decade, it would come down to whether a set of players can peak at the right time, and under pressure.
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav’s Inclusion the Eyebrow-Raiser in India World Cup Squad