Visakhapatnam ODI defeat against Australia exposes flaws in Team India’s World Cup 2023 preparation

World Cup 2023: Since the year 2011, the Indian team has neither won any ODI World Cup nor has it won the trophy in the T20 World Cup. After consecutive flops in these big tournaments of ICC, there are lot of expectations from Team India to win the World Cup this year. This is because this year the ODI World Cup is to be played in India only. However, the result of the ODI match played in Visakhapatnam has completely exposed the preparations of Team India to win the World Cup.

In this match played between India and Australia in Visakhapatnam today (March 19), Australia defeated India by 10 wickets with 234 balls remaining. This was India’s biggest defeat in terms of wickets and fastest target chase. The Indian team was all out for just 117 runs in this match and Australia registered a victory by batting fast in just 11 overs.

This humiliating defeat of Team India has given a blow to the hopes of the fans which they are pinning for this year’s World Cup. In fact, the way the Indian team carelessly lost wickets one after the other in the beginning on a batting-friendly wicket, and then the way it failed to defend the target, it has been a clear indication that Team India still needs to improve in every department. I need to do a lot of work.

Indian cricket fan 🤡😭#INDvsAUS #crickettwitter pic.twitter.com/82I2YO1qdH

— Gentle Man (@gentleman07_) March 19, 2023

Whose responsibility is it to handle the shattered innings?
Good scores have always been made in Visakhapatnam. Today’s pitch was also no different. But the Indian batsmen showed carelessness in the beginning here. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma got out after playing bad shots. After the opening pair went to the pavilion, when resistance should have been shown from the middle order, here Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul disappointed. Both quickly returned to the pavilion. After this, the concentration of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja also got disturbed and they also kept walking. After the fall of 6 wickets, India’s tail batsmen were also unable to do anything and the team got reduced to 117 runs.

Such negligence will be heavy in the World Cup
The disintegration of Team India on a batting wicket like this is a matter of great concern. It was not even that Australia was bowling very well. Here the Indian batsmen gifted most of the wickets. If Indian batsmen show this kind of negligence in any match even during the World Cup, then this trophy will definitely go out of India’s hands.

Didn’t show the spirit to defend a small target
Bowling was more of a concern than batting. Even though there was a small target of 118 runs in front of Australia, but Team India should have given some competition here, as in the last match, despite the small target, Australia had taken an edge over Team India at one time. But in Visakhapatnam, the Indian bowler and captain could not put any pressure on the Australian opening pair. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head hit quick half-centuries and easily won their team. Only once in this entire match did the Indian bowlers create a chance for a wicket and there too the catch was dropped.

If the shortcomings are not removed, then the consequences will have to be faced.
Overall, the way the Indian team has dedicated in this match, such dedication is rarely seen in the sports world. On this basis, it can be concluded that the Indian team may have been very strong on their home grounds, but in this team, from handling scattered innings, defending small targets and implementing strategies well and showing courage, there are many things in this team. There are shortcomings, which have been exposed in today’s match. If they are not rectified in time, then it would be foolish to expect this team to win the World Cup.

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