The final 15 for India’s World Cup campaign is out, and it is the squad that most expected. The unfortunate injury to Axar Patel made things easier for the selectors. On the day the final 15 had to be submitted, Axar was still looking at another two weeks of recovery time. It’s heartbreaking for him that he misses out on a home World Cup, and we all feel for him.
The biggest talking point was Ravi Ashwin’s comeback. For me, this was a no-brainer. With Axar injured, one place had opened up and it was always going to an off-spinner. Washington Sundar would be first to admit that there is one winner here. In Twenty20 cricket, with just the four overs to bowl, the batting and fielding prowess come into consideration far more. In the 50-over version, with 10 overs of bowling, where you want your bowlers to pick up wickets, there really is no debate.
Let us not forget that apart from his five Test hundreds, Ashwin’s calm head under immense pressure makes him a smart selection. In that unforgettable T20 World Cup game against Pakistan not too long ago, Virat Kohli’s heroics would have been futile had Ashwin not kept his cool and calculated that loft over mid-off for four. That was not an easy shot to play in normal circumstances, let alone in that sort of pressure-cooker situation with a game on the line. That ability comes from the fact that he has won so many matches for India. He is attuned to such situations, and the more you are put in them, the better you get at handling them. And this is something that money, or anything else for that matter, cannot buy.
Now, Ashwin alone will not win you the World Cup. No one individual has done that in the past, and none will in future. It’s called a team game for a reason. And all 11 on the field will not fire. That too is a given. If we look at India’s 2011 triumph, Yuvraj Singh was on fire. Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni had very good tournaments, and some others chipped in when it mattered. There were some big names who were not up to their high standards, which is what makes sport so intriguing. Form is not at your beck and call. When you have it with you, you keep thanking the Lord every day. And when it deserts you, you pray several times a day to have it return to you.
Can India win the World Cup? They certainly can. It will not be easy. It isn’t meant to be. It is the World Cup, after all. If a couple of our blokes fire, and some others enjoy a really good tournament, India will be flying. So, for me, the 15 only matters as far as covering all the bases is concerned. After that, it is all about form over a month and a half.
My last four are India, Australia, England and New Zealand. And if I’m allowed a dark horse, that would be South Africa. The conditions will change from city to city. The dew will come into play at some point – the tosses could have a huge bearing on some matches. So there comes the luck factor, and the champion side always needs that. Jog your memory back to the last World Cup final at Lord’s, that accidental deflection off Ben Stokes’s bat late in the game, and you will know what I mean.
As the practice matches get under way, enough has been written and discussed. Let the games begin, and may the best team win. The last three World Cups have each been won by the home team. For me, that is more of a coincidence than anything else. The in-form team won. In 1975 and 1979, West Indies would have won the cup no matter where it was played, such were their dominance. Australia showed themselves to be on a similarly high plane in 1999, 2003 and 2007. All that mattered was how good they were.
Now, with so many premier leagues being played around the world, and players flitting from one to the next, there is almost no home advantage unless the pitches are specifically prepared to suit the home team. Now, that happens in Test cricket. But in ICC tournaments with the white ball, flat decks are pretty much the order of the day.
That’s where you’ll need bowling skill of the highest order. Ash, go and win it for India now.