Coach John Wright’s impromptu meeting in captain Sourav Ganguly’s room on the 18th floor of Harare’s Crown Plaza Hotel turned into a game-changing moment for Indian cricket.
It happened two days ahead of their must-win clash against Zimbabwe in the 2003 World Cup when Wright convinced Sourav to sacrifice his opening slot to Virender Sehwag and drop to No.4 in the batting order. India had been drubbed by Australia in their second match of the tournament and couldn’t afford any more slip-ups.
Wright’s logic was simple. If the pillars of the team’s batting, Sourav and Sachin were dismissed early, the middle-order would have to cope with enormous pressure. Sourav later moved to No.3 and ended with three centuries in that edition as India finished runners-up.
That batting order turned into a template till Sourav continued playing the format.
The circumstances may not be similar at home this time but the team’s reliance on the top order can’t be overlooked.
When Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid came together in November 2021, it was assumed that their partnership would end India’s ICC trophy drought. After two failed attempts — the T20 World Cup in Australia and the World Test Championship final in England — the ODI World Cup will be their final opportunity.
The countdown to the tournament has begun on an enterprising note with the Asia Cup triumph underlining India’s potential.
If the build-up had been filled with anxiety surrounding Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer’s fitness, the Asia Cup and three ODIs versus Australia have not only confirmed the trio’s return but also helped them rediscover their old form.
A championship in the subcontinent will always be decided by the performance of the batters and the Indians’ proximity to the conditions will provide them with a distinct advantage. Teams will have to regularly chase down 300plus targets and the top-three of India’s batting needs to provide the desired start.
Shubman Gill has shown that he has it in him to perform at this level and accumulate runs at a robust rate. Five of his six centuries have come this year and has shown the inclination to shoulder responsibility and face challenges. But a lot will depend on how the Big 2 of Indian cricket perform on the big stage.
A random check of India’s ODI performances over the last few years will show that the team has played to potential when Rohit and Virat Kohli have scored. The two classy batters of this generation have to fire in unison, or at least one of them, to provide the launching pad for the middle order to fire.
The two have stitched together more than 5000 partnership runs depicting their flair for runs. Look at their record: Virat has more than 11000 runs while Rohit’s aggregate is more than 10000 runs with three double hundreds. Rohit accumulated a record 648 runs at an average of 81.00, including five centuries, in the last edition. Kohli has always starred on the big occasions.
The team will survive on its batting strength and the momentum has to be built from the top. Therein lies India’s impetus to an inspiring effort in the World Cup.
It’s unlikely that Rohit, 36, and Kohli, who will turn 35 in November in the middle of the World Cup, will be around in the next edition. It’s more about mental battle than skills at the highest level. Experience does count and both Rohit and Kohli’s maturity will be pivotal just like Sourav and Sachin did two decades ago.
