Prior to World Cup 23, Gambhir sounds the alarm for the star all-arounder
The performance of Team India in the recently finished Asia Cup provided a clear indication of how well-prepared they are for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. The men in blue dominated the continental competition and won it despite a setback against Bangladesh. Given that the next World Cup will be held on Indian soil, their victories against Pakistan by 228 runs in the Super Four and co-hosts Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final demonstrated their skill in subcontinental conditions.
The teams for the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup that followed seemed balanced across departments, and the team really met all of the criteria in the just finished continental competition. The squad had some injury problems at the conclusion of the competition, and the management acted quickly to address them. They called up Ravichandran Ashwin for the Australia ODIs and Washington Sundar for the finals.
But apart from the wounds, there are still a few issues that must be resolved before competing in the highlight event next month. One among them is the contribution made by Ravindra Jadeja, who bats down the order. Gautam Gambhir, a former India opener, emphasized that the southpaw needed to contribute more with the bat, particularly in critical moments.
Jadeja can bowl 10 overs on any given day and on any surface, as we are aware. You cannot go in with only six hitters, as observed by Gambhir during a conversation on Star Sports, despite the fact that he is an incredible fielder.
“Questions also remain if Ishan Kishan plays at No. 5 in the order. As a result, Ravindra Jadeja will need to bat well to win games since you never know when the Nos. 6 and 7 batsmen will be playing together and you’ll need 80 or 90 runs in 10 overs.
Jadeja failed to take use of his chances at the Asia Cup, prompting Gambhir to emphasize the subject. In three innings, he only produced 25 runs, average only 8.33. He was quite successful with the ball however, taking six in four innings at a 4.34 economy rate.
