ODI World Cup 2023 calling, is Team India really ready?

From the nerve-wracking World Test Championship (WTC) final in June to a further competitive Ashes series in June-July, this year has been exciting across all formats. In about two months, the cricketing world will brace for the prestigious ODI World Cup 2023 with India playing the hosts.

Given that MS Dhoni & Co. won the trophy the last time a World Cup match was played on home soil, the Indian cricket team has to be prepared for a barrage of expectations ahead of the quadrennial tournament.

When Kapil Dev-led team India created history, defeating two-time World Cup champions West Indies in 1983 ODI World Cup final, the world knew that those who dominated cricket had found a new competitor - a team that would go on to leave its imprint in the cricket 'Hall of Fame'. However, the country had to wait 28 years before our Men in Blue replicated that success in 2011.

Now as Rohit Sharma & Co. face a similar task, the team's preparedness for the crucial tournament has been called into question, especially in view of the recent experimentation in the three-match IND vs WI ODI series and the unconfirmed return of some key players.

Rejig of the batting order in IND vs WI ODI series

As the team entered their final lap of preparations for the World Cup in the Caribbean series, the Indian team management decided to test players in different roles to prepare for uncertain situations in the tournament including possible injuries.

Two experienced batters of the team, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, were rested in the second and third ODIs in order to give opportunities to middle-order batters to prove their potential and in a way present their candidature for the World Cup squad.

Hardik Pandya, who was the captain in Rohit's absence, stated during the toss for the second ODI that ‘there are a few questions that need to be answered', indicating that the team management is still making up its mind about the possible players, roles and combinations for big tournaments like Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson and all-rounder Axar Patel replaced Rohit and Kohli respectively. However, both of them failed to leave a mark as they were dismissed for 9 and 1 respectively in the second ODI.

With star middle-order batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer's return still hanging in the balance, the management is unclear about the Playing XI for the World Cup and thus have tried to test most players in all possible roles in the series considered to be the dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

The shuffling of the batting order didn't bear fruit in the second ODI as India lost to West Indies - a team that hasn't qualified for the World Cup for the first time in the history of cricket - attracting criticism from experts and fans alike.

The third ODI was a different story. While Patel was left out, Samson smashed a half-century batting at No. 4. Ishan Kishan scored 77 opening for India.

Justifying the experimentation, head coach Rahul Dravid remarked: "Honestly, this was our last chance to try out some of our players. We have got a few of our players injured who are in NCA. With a month to go until Asia Cup, we are running out of time in a lot of ways. We are hopeful that some of them (injured players) will be fit for Asia Cup and World Cup, but we can't take those chances."

Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson or Suryakumar Yadav?

Ishan Kishan looked solid to be selected as the second wicketkeeper in the World Cup squad (provided Rahul returns). However, with Rahul's availability still uncertain, there is a window of hope for Samson to compete with Ishan, who accumulated 50+ scores in all three ODIs, for the middle-order wicketkeeper-batter spot.

Samson, who averages 55.71 in the ODI format, will also be in competition with Suryakumar Yadav, who had a mediocre outing in the recent series. While his heroics in the T20I format are well-known, Suryakumar could only manage to show some glimpses of his form in the ODI outing with scores of 19, 24 and 35 in the three matches respectively.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif extended an endorsement for Samson to be selected in the middle-order after he was impressed with the latter's under-pressure knock in the third ODI. Wasim Jaffer, on the other hand, expressed doubt on Samson's consistency and his high-risk approach playing at No. 4.

The first three batting slots are all but fixed with Rohit and Shubman Gill expected to open and Kohli to be at No. 3. This excludes Ishan from the top order, a slot where he has played the most in his career.

Also Read: Team India's 'Big Three' and the inevitability of succession

Samson, on the other hand, has experience playing in the No.4 or No.5 position and also boasts of an impressive ODI record.

Who among Samson, Suryakumar and Ishan will find a place in the Playing XI is still unclear and the three will be in focus if selected for the Asia Cup.

Jasprit Bumrah's return crucial

One thing that everyone seems to agree on is the importance of Jasprit Bumrah's return to the Indian team. The pace spearhead, who has been out of action since September 2022, is crucial to India's bowling attack. He took 18 wickets for India in the 2019 World Cup, the highest among Indian bowlers and the fifth-highest overall in that edition.

Bumrah has been recovering at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after undergoing surgery for a back injury. In positive news for India, he was named the captain for T20I series against Ireland. However, his fitness for the 50-overs format will undergo the real test in Asia Cup to be held in September.

He will be accompanied by pacers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, who were rested for the ODI series. Kuldeep Yadav also seems to have sealed his place as the first-choice spinner while Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are the obvious picks for all-rounders.

Shardul Thakur is expected to be included in the World Cup squad after he finished as India's leading wicket-taker (8 wickets) in the ODI series. His spell of 4/37 in the third ODI was his best in the format.

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is in the running for a place in the squad while Patel is also a viable inclusion.

The team management has the option to choose Prasidh Krishna, who has returned after an injury, Umran Malik and R Ashwin as standby bowlers.

With the Asia Cup beginning in a month, there are still many variables to be fixed. Remember, it is a crucial tournament that could act as a practice ground for the World Cup squad provided the experimentation in the team reaches a strategic conclusion.

The selection of the final Playing XI also largely depends on Rahul and Iyer's fitness and availability.

India is hosting Australia for a three-match ODI series in September before the World Cup begins. This provides the team another chance to test their strength and prepare for the premier tournament.

While uncertainty still hovers over India's World Cup squad, the team's chances of winning the 50-overs tournament are in no way foggy.

The hosts will start as firm favourites for the trophy and it is up to Rohit & Co. to find their form and make the best of every match, irrespective of the inclusions and exclusions in the final squad.