Cricket World Cup: Why is India’s ‘dream team’ invincible? Indian team has never dominated the World Cup or any other tournament like they are doing now. Be it a fast bowler, a spinner, an opener or a middle order batsman, all have played with confidence and bravery.
So far, Virat Kohli has been the center of attention for Indian fans in the Cricket World Cup. At first, the question was whether India’s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar would be able to equal the record of 49 centuries or not. Then when they equaled this record, now the question is, when will they make the next and 50th century?
It should be remembered that Indian batsmen occupy the first three positions in the list of hundred scorers in ODI cricket. Captain Rohit Sharma is third in the list with 31 centuries.
On Sunday, India defeated second-placed South Africa by 243 runs, during which the entire team was bowled out for just 83 runs.
Is there really that much difference between India and the rest of the teams? Or is it all happening because 11 players are playing their best? And can this happen continuously?
The obsession with Kohli may have overshadowed the hard work and performance of other players for now.
For example, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has taken 15 wickets at an average of 15 and the batsmen failed to score runs on 70% of his deliveries. In the powerplay, the dot ball average has reached 83.
It is every bowler’s dream to take wickets and not give away runs. Jasprit Bumra puts pressure on the opponent from the start of the game.
Jasprit Bumrah has taken 15 wickets at an average of 15 and the batsmen have failed to score runs on 70% of his balls.
Captain Rohit Sharma is doing the same but with his bat. They start the game aggressively and that strategy has worked well so far. His brilliant performance against South Africa was witnessed when India scored 91 runs in the first power play.
Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 40 runs off 24 balls but by then his team had scored 60 runs in the sixth over and hence Virat Kohli and Shreyas got time to play and they added 134 runs.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill chose to specifically target Marco Jensen, who had been the most successful bowler in the powerplay till then, meaning India showed calculated aggression.
Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid should be commended for this strategy, but India’s top batsmen have successfully implemented it. This is India’s ‘Dream Team’.
The Indian team has never dominated a Cricket World Cup or any other tournament in such a manner as they are doing now. Be it a fast bowler, a spinner, an opener or a middle order, all played with confidence and bravery and scored centuries, bowlers took five wickets in a single match, kept excellent wickets and took great catches.
In any World Cup this time, Indian fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Siraj, along with the pair of left-arm spinners, are destroying the opposing teams. What else can be expected from this team in the World Cup played at home.
India have two concerns ahead of the semi-final in Mumbai; First is that the Indian team is playing with five bowlers and second is that so far India has not faced much pressure in any match.
But it is a good bowling combination with each bowler capable of beating any team single-handedly. None of them understand that his job is just to keep the run rate low.
When a team has bowlers who take five wickets, then a bad day of one does not affect the team, but whether this is true or not, will be known soon.
Barring the match against Australia where India lost three wickets in the opening match, the Indian batsmen have played without any pressure. Those who were talking about the end of Kohli are now rejoicing in anticipation of his next century.
Fortunately for India, there was a timely return of injured and out-of-form players. Shami was not allowed in the first four matches but has now taken 16 wickets at a ridiculous average of seven. Shreyas has returned to full form at number four.
However, India have found it difficult to find an all-rounder to replace Hardik Pandya, whose World Cup was ruled out due to an ankle injury, but now is not the time to get into that debate. The important thing is that India does not need Pandya.
The whole team plays until the World Cup knockout stage, after which a surprise performance by a single player can shatter one’s dreams.
This has already happened to India in the 2003 World Cup when they faced Australia in the final after winning eight matches in a row, only for Ricky Ponting to score 140 off 121 balls, which included eight sixes.
No team can plan against such a performance and just pray that the batsman gets out on his own. It’s like the famous boxer Mike Tyson said, ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.’
And as Dravid recently said, ‘We will continue to use our skills until someone beats us by playing better than us.’ So we will shake hands with them and leave.
