The Indian World Cup squad was announced recently, and most of the players were obvious selections, thus with only a few spots up for grabs, the selectors had something to ponder upon. The selectors decided to go in with a mix of youth and exuberance, and experience and finesse.

Resisting the enticement to obeisance to popular opinions, the national selectors named a 15-man squad for the World Cup that had a couple of surprises, with Stuart Binny and Akshar Patel breaking through as medium pace and spin all-round options respectively, and Yuvraj Singh, as anticipated, overlooked notwithstanding three consecutive centuries in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

The team is once again led by MS Dhoni, who recently called it quits from Test cricket. His experience and calm demeanour will prove to be invaluable for the team. India would have already been well acclimatized to the conditions in Australia, considering that they play a Tri Series involving Australia and England after the recently concluded test series.

STRENGTHS:

This team looks like a well balanced unit and once again the batting will prove to be the focal point. The batting looks very strong and is capable of overhauling any target that is given to them. The onus will be on the batsman to make up for any inadequacies in the bowling line up. The fact that MS Dhoni will feel fresh will be an added advantage for India. If the likes of Kohli and Rahane continue their great run from the Test match Arena to the ODI setup, one could argue that India has the most potent and dangerous batting line-up among all teams in the tournament. It is almost a prerequisite for the batting to come good, because if they do so, India have the chance to go a long way forward in this World Cup. India’s fielding will most probably be top notch, considering that most of them are world class.

WEAKNESSES:

As always, the bowling attack is India’s Achilles heel. The test series in Australia once again showed that the bowling has been below par. One might even argue that had India had bowled better in crucial junctures, the series could have taken a completely different turn. More than anything else, what worries most is that India lack quality death bowlers, despite the advent of T20 cricket and the IPL. It will be interesting to see what ploy Dhoni adopts as the tournament meanders along with regard to his choice of death bowlers. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if he decides to use Ashwin, because he has done the job on more than several occasions and with considerable success.

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:

Virat Kohli – It would be impossible to look beyond this man at the moment. He is in outstanding form and he certainly will be the most important player in India’s run to defend the title.

Akshar Patel – This handy all-rounder could prove to be an unknown nemesis for the opposition team. His handy spin bowling and lower order batting is very useful, and he could make a significant impact.

Suresh Raina – Despite his long-lasting struggles in Test cricket, Suresh Raina is one of the best finishers in the modern one day game. His agile running between the wickets and his ability to tonk the ball a fair way will be extremely vital for India, not to forget that he is a splendid fielder.

This team is a strong ODI outfit and has the potential to defend the title. Obviously they have their own set of limitations and if they can find a way to overcome them, this team could be difficult to beat. If you are an Indian fan, things look promising and, who knows, Dhoni could be lifting the title come March 29th at the MCG.

SQUAD: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akshar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Stuart Binny, Umesh Yadav.

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