Another debacle at the WTC final, another crushing defeat for the much fancied Indian team. Much had been said about the depth of batting in the Indian Team. However, the Indian team always falters in big matches. The 209 runs crushing defeat have sent the experts splitting their semantic hair as to why the Indian team always falters in such high-octane matches. Does the performance raise many questions-Ares the Indian team members’ unable to face pressure? Is it IPL fatigue that is affecting the Indian team?
However, both these questions are irrelevant. The Indian team has weathered even more pressure situations with players like Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma who always excel in pressure situations. Coming to IPL fatigue many Australian players have also played in IPL but were able to perform. Therefore the Indian Team’s performance belies any logic.
1. Why Was R Ashwin On Bench
There is no doubt that R Aswin is the most thinking and important bowler who bowls as per the situation and also changes his strategies to suit the conditions of the pitch. Therefore it is a big mystery why he was not included in the playing Eleven for this crucial match. With five left-handers in the Kangaroo team, the logic of not including Aswin is incomprehensible.
2. IPL Fatigue
The Mega Spectacle of cricket is celebrated every year with a lot of fanfare. It has also turned out to be a mine of new talent. However, there are many experts who indict the IPL with its wealth generation capabilities as the Achilles heel of the players. Players give in everything and even keep on playing after getting injured. This affects their performance later.
Important players like Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and other stars continued playing IPL till its end and had hardly any time to recoup their strength. The performance of these players leaves much to question. On the other hand, the Kangaroos kept their cream players like Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland away from IPL.
3. Top Order caves In
Much has been said about the formidable batting line-up of the Indian team. However, in high-profile matches they have always caved in. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli could only muster 191 runs and that tells the story. The middle order could only work upon a good base set up by the opening players but this was not to be the case. Another heartbreak for Indian fans and another long wait for the WTC World Cup.