ODI World Cup 2023: Team India’s weaknesses for the mega event

India are considered one of the title favourites for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 to be played in India. The Men in Blue have had an ideal preparation for the mega event. Team India has won their eighth Asia Cup title in the process.

The most significant plus point of this event is that it was in the ODI format. It has given the Indian team an ideal platform to identify the holes in the team and repair them.

Let’s look at some weaknesses of the Indian team which could be the hindrances on their way to lift the coveted title after 12 long years.

Lackluster shows in big tournaments

After South Africa, Team India has got the unwanted tag of perennial chokers in big tournaments. Over the past decade, the trophy cabinet of the Men in Blue has almost been empty. Even though they managed to win the bilateral series, they have dismal performances in big multi-national tournaments. The Indian batting order has failed in important matches like the semi-finals or knockouts. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of the Indian team going into the mega event.

India have to quickly get rid of the chokers tag to have any kind of impact in the tournament.

Lack of quality spinners

Indian pitches will be friendly for the spinners. However, except Kuldeep Yadav, there are no genuine spinners in the Indian squad. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are spin all-rounders. Lack of genuine spinners in their ranks will peg India heavily in helpful conditions. Once in a while, Kuldeep may have an off day on the ground as the law of averages often catches up in cricket. Under this kind of circumstances, Indian bowling attack may become ordinary.

Opposition batters may also target Indian spin all-rounders, who don’t have much spinning abilities, to unsettle the Indian bowling attack.

Injury worries

Injury to some key players is still a headache for the team management ahead of the mega event. Injury to in-form spin all-rounder Axar Patel is a big blow. Moreover, there is a doubt over Shreyas Iyer’s fitness. Lack of game time is also a major worry for the attacking middle order batsman.

Long tail

Earlier, India’s batters often roll their arms and cover 10-20 overs to reduce the pressure on the bowlers. It was helping the skipper to accommodate an extra batsman to add depth to the batting order. However, hardly any Indian top order batsman bowls these days. As a result, a long tail of the Indian team is often exposed as soon as the team losses few quick wickets.