Seven things Team India must do to be ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 champs

India are seen as one of the favourites to win the World Cup this time, but to be able to do, they must address a few issues in time and ensure that they put their best foot forward

With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 just around the corner, the 10 participating teams are sweating it out on the field and leaving no stone unturned. From devising the right strategies to making last-minute changes to their squads, the teams are doing it all with the singular focus on the coveted trophy. And rightly so, the world cup is the biggest international event for 50-over cricket and each team wants to be the champion of champions.

Such is the importance of the tournament that many players even missed out on the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) this year to give themselves enough time to prepare for the World Cup. 

So far as India are concerned, they are already being viewed as one of the favourites to win the tournament. For one, the team’s performance in recent months has been good, with many of its top-rung players in good form. Besides, the World Cup this time is being played in England and Wales. It was on English soil that India had won their first World Cup trophy in 1983.

However, these factors apart, there are a few issues that India must address in time to ensure they put their best foot forward in the all-important championship. Here are some of the most important of them:

The number 4 conundrum

While India's opening and number 3 slot are arguably the best in the world today, the number 4 slot is shaky at best. Ironically, there is a long list of contenders in the team for this slot but none has performed well enough to be dependable. Veteran MS Dhoni could not be promoted up the order all the time as that would pressure the lower-middle order. Whoever from among K L Rahul, Kedar Jadhav or Dinesh Karthik is picked for the slot will have to play out for his skin to make sure the number 4 slot does not become India's Achilles heel at the World Cup.

Set bigger targets

Traditionally, India have been a master at chasing stiff targets. However, it won’t be all the time that they would get to chase. In the recently concluded series between Pakistan and England, we have seen that 300+ scores are no longer an unbeatable score. India have a good bowling attack, so the onus will be on batsmen to score big and give the bowlers a decent target to defend. 

Be wary of bouncy tracks

Often, batsmen are seen to get shaken out of their concentration by bouncers, especially on England tracks. The one thing Indian batsmen will need to avoid is falling into this trap. Indian batsmen will have to acclimatise themselves to English surfaces in the run-up to the tournament to gauge their bounciness, so that they do not throw their wickets away to bouncers while trying to up the ante. 

Anchoring innings vs cameos

The team needs someone to anchor the innings together and take it to the very end. Cameos and pinch hitters are always welcome, but hard-hitting should not be done from both ends of the wicket. In the 50-over format of the game, taking it deep and playing the full quota of overs will matter a lot.

Rely less on Kohli 

Virat Kohli’s form, it would seem, is perennial. The man is perpetually in supreme touch and delivering consistently, but that can be no reason for others to take it easy. Kohli scores when it matters and makes sure that the team crosses the line, but there would be times when he would fail. On such occasions, other batsmen will have to step up and score for the team. Overdependence on Kohli will only harm the chances of India in the World Cup.

Pick the playing 11 smartly

The teams in the world cup have not been grouped. Rather, it is an open tournament where all the teams will play a minimum of nine matches at the group stage. The fitness of players will be paramount. So, the team management will have to be judicious in picking the team in a way that the balance is not lost, and yet some key players are rested in relatively easy matches.

Don't lose to Pakistan

The one thing that no Indian captain, team or fan wants to witness is losing to Pakistan in a World Cup match. No Indian fan cares about the World Cup more than beating Pakistan. And, it is not just about the sentiments. The morale of the team will take a serious beating if Pakistan were to win a match against them. Hence, beat Pakistan!