Two seminal defeats against Australia remained the highlights for the Indian men’s cricket team in 2023. Virat Kohli burnt bright, Rohit Sharma led from the front and the bowlers did their job. But the goal remained unachieved in big-ticket finals — of the World Test Championship (WTC) and World Cup.
There were big moments in women’s cricket. Off the field, the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) was the pinnacle. Franchise fees and broadcast rights fetched significant amounts of money, which can potentially revolutionise the women’s game. India secured landmark Test wins, and remained average in white-ball cricket, while the juniors won the inaugural U-19 T20 World Cup.
Boys vs men in WTC and World Cup finals
Playing the WTC and the 50-over World Cup finals in the same year is an achievement in itself. It shows consistency across formats and India made the cut in both with the best record in the qualifying stages. There were genuine reasons to hope for the best.
However, the other team to reached the final in these two events had the last laugh on both occasions. Australia were way superior in the WTC and World Cup finals. Having beaten them convincingly in the preliminary stages, India were clearly the also-rans in the biggest games.
One or two selection calls were debatable and so was the strategy in the WTC final. But India probably did not lose due to those reasons alone. They failed to string together passages of consistent play and caved in under pressure. The lost the plot early and lacked the wherewithal to come out of tight corners against a battle-hardened opponent. It was boys versus men.
No new bowlers, Jaiswal and Varma emerging batters
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are ageing. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are not getting younger. Fresh faces are needed in pace and spin bowling. It’s worrisome that there are no heirs in sight. This search has to begin now.
For a few years, the bowlers had been the pillars of success for this team. Pace or spin, there were effective resources for both requirements and for all conditions. But now comes the transition phase. It’s important to spot potential successors and groom them. Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan — there are a few names in fast bowling. The spin cupboard is bare.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made an eye-catching Test debut, has the potential to become an all-format batter. But the crucial phase starts now. His game will be dissected and plans will be made for him. Tilak Varma started his T20I career on a bright note and is in the scheme of things for the World Cup in this format coming up in June.
No away gains since Australia, Pant’s absence
Defeat in the first Test in South Africa means India will not win the series. Test match results abroad against teams that matter have been ordinary since Australia in 2020-21. The bilateral record in different formats is good, without wins of substance.
Rishabh Pant’s absence after a horrific road accident at the end of December 2022 has affected the balance and upset plans across formats. India will hope he is back sometime in 2024. Fingers crossed until the start of the Indian Premier League.
Landmark deals in women’s cricket
The franchise fee for five teams for five years was Rs 4669 crore, while broadcast rights sold for Rs 951 crore. Several players including uncapped Indians like Kashvee Gautam and Vrinda Dinesh attracting crore-plus bids — there were some landmark numbers surrounding the Women’s Premier League.
The first edition was held in 2023 and the stage is set for the 2024 chapter. The product on the table at the moment may not be the most appealing for the average cricket consumer, but the numbers are fascinating. Interest from investors has surpassed expectations. Sustaining it is the challenge.
Women disappoint in blue, shine in white
The women’s team won the Asian Games gold, but when it came to taking on England and Australia, they were almost always on the losing side. A number of limited-over games were played at home against these two teams and India appeared way behind in playing and in thinking. This gap is not narrowing. Let’s see if the WPL makes a difference in the long run.
The same set of women produced standout performances in Test cricket. This is a format they rarely play internationally and do not play at all on the domestic circuit. For them to secure a first-ever win against Australia and an encouraging one against England in one-off home Tests was remarkable. This opens the case for more Tests for the women’s team.
Silverware at last in women’s cricket
India produced a string of dominant performances to win the inaugural women’s under-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa. They had in their ranks senior-team regulars Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh. This was India’s first-ever ICC trophy in women’s cricket. The seniors have finished runners-up in the 50-over and T20 World Cups.