Team India is on a mission, and they are just one game away from the title. Their emphatic win against New Zealand was similar to what they have been doing throughout this World Cup. The team has won 10 matches in a streak and remained undefeated throughout the journey. Not just the winning, it is the magnitude of the victory that has created an impact, and cricket pundits across the globe are now calling it India’s World Cup to lose if under any circumstances they miss out on the title from here.
The ultimate countdown to the final has begun for the Indian fans. As a unit, team India has check-marked all the boxes in the campaign. They have won by a margin of 302 runs against Sri Lanka, 243 runs against South Africa, 160 runs against Netherlands, and 100 runs against England, and comfortably chased the totals set by Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
In the high-pressure semi-final, India defeated New Zealand by 70 runs, scoring 397 for just four wickets, that too without getting bothered at any point of the match. However, these results have come from the contribution of all eleven players of the squad. Having ten out of eleven players in ace form at the same time is not very common in any sport, especially on the global stage.
Batting
The most common pattern of the tournament has been the aggression right from the beginning by the captain Rohit Sharma. He has scored 550 runs in ten innings at an average of 55 at a strike rate of 124. His partner Shubman Gill has supported him well, scoring 346 runs in eight innings, averaging 70.8.
Virat Kohli, who is the present leading run scorer with 711 runs, averaging a phenomenal 101. He has anchored the innings in every match, rescuing India in the very first match against Australia and stabilising the innings against New Zealand in the group stage game. He has maintained a healthy strike rate of 90.
Building upon a healthy start, Shreyas Iyer found his form in the second half of the group stage and has climbed up the ladder to be among the top run scorers. He has provided a solid number 4 performance, scoring 526 runs at an average of 75, and a healthy strike rate of 113. He also scored a quickfire 105 off 70 balls, maintaining a partnership with Kohli, and pressurising the New Zealand bowlers.
KL Rahul, who returned to the squad just before the Asia Cup, has been tested under different circumstances. He held his end securely, changed the gears as per the requirements, and stabilised the middle order to avoid any pressure on the lower middle order. He has scored 386 runs at an average over 65.
Suryakumar Yadav, known for his unorthodox cricketing shots, was brought into the team after Hardik’s injury. He did not get a lot of time in the middle but played a sensible knock of 49 against England on a tricky wicket. Ravindra Jadeja has played his role as a striker and contributed with his cameos against South Africa.
So far, the batting unit has dominated almost every match and avoided collapses. No single recognised batsman has shown weakness in the middle. Also, not many occasions have arrived where the team has asked the lower order to contribute or produce anything special.
Bowling
The Indian bowling unit has not been a one-man show. A similar pattern of the batting unit can be reflected in the bowling unit, where Jasprit Bumrah has exerted pressure on the batting unit with dot balls, accompanied by Siraj. Bumrah has taken 18 wickets so far, averaging 18.33, and has put pressure on the opponents by swinging the new ball both ways and equally bowled well in the death overs.
The top-ranked bowler Siraj, who is supported well by Bumrah, has taken 13 wickets too. The wild-card entry of Shami as the third fast bowler turned out to be the ace of the spade for the Indian bowling unit. Shami has been in the form of his life with 23 wickets, making the leading wicket-taker in the World Cup in just 6 matches. He has averaged below ten and bowled fiercely.
All three fast bowlers have done what Rohit, Shubman, and Kohli have done with the bat for the team. Putting the pressure on the opponent right from the first ball, complimenting and supporting each other, and cementing long partnerships with the ball.
The spinners, Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have also played their part in the middle overs, taking 16 and 15 wickets respectively. Despite high-scoring games, the spinners have been instrumental in building upon the foundation laid by in-form fast bowlers and averaged 22 and 24.5 respectively.
Their bowling reflects the role played by the middle order too, which has capitalized on the momentum provided by the openers.
Fielding
Team India is considerably one of the best fielding units in the world right now, which they have brought with them to the World Cup as well. Ravindra Jadeja has taken 7 catches in 10 games, while Kohli has taken five himself. Also, a healthy practice in the pavilion of the “Best Fielder award” has brought in a wave of enthusiasm.
Team India has the best chance of winning the World Cup this time. The talented pool of young players such as Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Siraj and Kuldeep, backed by the experience of Rohit, Kohli, Bumrah, Jadeja, and Shami have displayed the best form of One Day Cricket, even better than the 2011 World Cup team in some aspects. It is indeed India’s World Cup to lose if they don’t make it to the cup.