India's recent tour of England and Ireland has been a source of disappointment, with the team suffering three consecutive series defeats across formats. The main issue that has emerged is the team's struggles with bowling, particularly in the ODI series against England. The young pacers, led by Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, and Gurnoor Brar, were unable to contain the English batting line-up, which dominated the series. This is particularly concerning given the absence of Jasprit Bumrah due to injury, and the team's inexperienced pace attack faltered on a flat pitch at Lord's. The decision to bench Kuldeep Yadav for all three games has also raised eyebrows, as Axar Patel and Washington Sundar struggled to contain the England batters in the middle overs.
One of the key factors behind India's poor performance is the team's fitness woes. With players regularly getting injured, it has been impossible for the team management to field their best playing XI at all times. Harshit Rana's hamstring tear during the T20I series ruled him out of the ODI series, while KL Rahul was unavailable for the second ODI due to illness. This has forced India to include players like Brar, who leaked runs, and has impacted the team's balance.
I think the team's management needs to take a step back and reassess its approach to fitness and player selection. The team's players are not able to finish 2-3 series of matches, which is a concern for the World Cup. The team needs to focus on building a strong and consistent squad, rather than relying on individual performances.
Another issue that has emerged is the team's middle order concerns, particularly Ishan Kishan's patchy form with the bat. Kishan has a lot of pedigree as a batter in ODIs, but his recent performances have been disappointing. With Rahul as India's first choice wicket-keeper-batter, Kishan will need to make the most of his opportunities.
In my opinion, the team needs to focus on building a strong and consistent middle order, rather than relying on individual performances. The team needs to work on its batting depth and find a balance between experience and youth.
Overall, India's tour of England and Ireland has been a source of disappointment, but it also presents an opportunity for the team to reassess its approach and build a stronger and more consistent squad. The team needs to focus on its bowling, fitness, and batting depth, and find a balance between experience and youth. Only then can it hope to compete with the best teams in the world.
