India's failure yet again to cross the finish line having bowed out to Australia in front of a jam packed voracious home crowd raises lot of questions and speculations with regard to India's ability to claim victory in major world cricketing tournaments. This unfortunate pattern has been repeating for far too long exposing the frailties and one doubts if it's a psychological issue as a team laden with such strength and skill sets who performs admirably well right through a competition manages to capitulate when it comes to the high pressure knock out games.
It is now a span of 10 completed years since India has won anything of repute with their last major victory coming in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. There are 3 more marquee world events expected to play out within the next one and half years comprising of the T20 World Cup in mid 2024 played in the US & Caribbean followed by the ODI Champions Trophy taking place in Pakistan in early 2025 followed by the 3rd cycle of the World Test Championship in England during the first half of 2025. In this interim period between 2013 to 2023, almost all the Test playing nations have captured a title barring South Africa and Bangladesh. This certainly isn't something to be proud of for a country rich in cricketing culture and heritage.
Let's briefly summarize the big ticket world cricketing events that have taken place since the ICC Champions Trophy in England, 2013.
1) 2014 T20 World Cup - Host Bangladesh - Winner Sri Lanka
2) 2015 ODI World Cup - Host Australia - Winner Australia
3) 2016 T20 World Cup - Host India - Winner West Indies
4) 2017 Champions Trophy - Host England - Winner Pakistan
5) 2019 ODI World Cup - Host England - Winner England
6) 2021 World Test Championship - Host England (Final) - Winner New Zealand
7) 2021 T20 World Cup - Host UAE (India holding Rights) - Winner Australia
8) 2022 T20 World Cup - Host Australia - Winner England
9) 2023 World Test Championship - Host England (Final) - Winner Australia
10) 2023 ODI World Cup - Host India - Winner Australia
Thus one can see there have been regular major events held almost every year with India having plenty of opportunities but not being able to triumph in any of the 10 events since the last ascendancy coming way back in 2013. Former players, analysts, pandits and fans have been quite raucous with some even calling out for a major reshuffle in the side especially in the T20 format advocating for bringing in more fresh legs and eliminating some of the older folks.
All this might seem to be a bit too harsh considering the team overall did play some spectacular cricket in the recently concluded ODI world cup with just one off day plunging their fortunes. The criticism may seem to be a bit too far fetched but one thing is pretty clear that people have short memories and it's only the victories that count at the end of the day. Actually speaking it might seem to be a bit of a misnomer but factually speaking India have actually been the stand out team in ICC events over the past decade. They have virtually done exceptionally well in almost all the big events but alas without any silverware to showcase. In majority of the cases, India have just been short of a match or two from winning the whole tournament. The biggest flaw has been that the team has not been able to seize the initiative and have lacked the killer instinct in the must win do or die knock out games. Sadly, India will have to abide with the title of perennial chokers till they get this monkey off the back by actually winning something of repute.
Sharing a brief synopsis of India's performances down the years in the ICC World Events.
2014 T20 World Cup:
India entered the finals and were considered firm favorites to romp home after their stellar victory over South Africa in the semi finals. The final opponents were Sri Lanka, the side India defeated in the 2011 ODI World Cup. The Lankans were firm underdogs but pulled off a spectacular showing in the finals to topple India. India's batting which was clicking match after match grossly underperformed in the final having scored just 130 in the allotted 20 overs having lost just 4 wickets. This was too meagre a total for the Lankans who managed to get there without much of a hassle.
2015 ODI World Cup:
India managed to reach the semi finals without battling a sweat. In fact they were the only unbeaten side along with New Zealand till that stage winning all 6 of their group games along with sweeping aside the Bangladeshis in the quarter final encounter. But when it came to the big match semifinal against the hosts, India came a cropper caving in rather tamely. Australia put up a 300 plus score on the board with India never in the hunt losing by almost a three figure mark.
2016 T20 World Cup:
This was a home World Cup for India and the performance in the beginning was kind of muted. They however stepped up with a closely fought must win encounter against Bangladesh followed by a sizzling closely fought quarter final win over the Aussies setting up a semi final showdown against the Windies at the Wankhede. India put up a score of almost 200 and looked to drive home the advantage but this time the bowling didn't step up when needed allowing the Windies to go surging past the total. This was a great opportunity lost to win a world cup title at home.
2017 Champions Trophy:
Another tournament dominated by India till they came undone pretty badly in the finals against arch rivals Pakistan. India had in fact comfortably hammered the same opposition in the group stage match but when it came to the final, India were totally outclassed losing by a mammoth 180 run margin. India had again come in as the favorites for the final but the manner of defeat was pretty searing to say the least.
2019 ODI World Cup:
This was a 10 team edition with each team getting to play each other and the top 4 teams making it to the semi finals. India finished right on top of the 10 teams and got to play the Kiwis who had finished 4th. India again went into the semi finals as firm favorites but again swallowed the opportunity by failing to chase a reasonable score put up by New Zealand in a rain marred game. The batting totally let them down with the team losing wickets in a heap at the beginning. Jadeja and Dhoni did offer a great fightback but it was too much to claw at and in the end it was a bitter pill to swallow for India. This was perhaps one of the best chances missed by India to claim a World Cup in England since their maiden memorable victory way back in 1983.
2021 T20 World Cup:
This was perhaps the only time India never really showed up in a world event over the last many years. India succumbed to Pakistan finally in a World Cup match losing their golden run that too in an abject embarrassing manner going down by 10 wickets. In the other must win game against their nemesis Kiwis, India's batting faltered again allowing New Zealand to win easily. Thus, India was knocked out of the tournament before the semifinals and it was quite a major disappointment. The event was supposed to be staged in India but got moved over to the Emirates due to the Covid factor with India still retaining the hosting rights for the event.
2021 World Test Championship: (2019-2021 Window)
This was the first ever Test Championship to have been staged after years of contemplation. The top two sides were to meet in the final and India were placed right at the top with an impressive array of victories in the test format during the window of 2019-2021 including a famous back to back series win down under against the Aussies. India again were tipped as favorites going into the final but again came undone against a methodological and resolute New Zealand side. This was the first world test championship to be conducted and it can be said that India certainly missed a golden chance to go atop the honors board.
2022 T20 World Cup:
Another World Cup and another disappointment. India won the game of the tournament against their arch rivals Pakistan and easily made it to the semifinals again topping their group. But it was an absolute day to forget for the Indians in the semi finals as a marauding England side made mincemeat of India's target barraging past the total without battling an eyelid not even losing a solitary wicket in the process. Australian conditions were suiting the Indian batsman and it looked like something huge was finally coming India's way but alas it was again not to be.
2023 World Test Championship: (2021-2023 Window)
This was the second time the World Test Championship was being staged and India again found themselves among the top two teams and this time it was a new opponent in the form of Australia who were appearing in their first WTC final. India had just recently defeated the same side in a home test series and would have gone in with some confidence. But some poor reading of the conditions along with blatant selection mistakes cost India the match right on the first day after initiating the opposition into bat. It was again a wonderful opportunity missed through the door as India again earned the tag of being runners up for a second straight showing.
2023 ODI World Cup:
This would arguably rank as the biggest colossal monumental disappointment especially considering the way India had gone right through the tournament literally dispatching, demolishing and decimating all the opponents who had come by their wayside. This time they managed to overcome the Kiwis in the semifinal and taken their win count to 10 wins on the trot. But come the all important final when India went in as clear favorites, the ship sank once again in what was the biggest game of their lives in front of a massive home crowd. The pitch was perhaps the biggest deterrent but once again cometh the moment, India just caved into the pressure and succumbed meekly against an Aussie side who further cemented their legacy as the greatest white ball champions in the history of cricket. This was a complete all encompassing performance with almost not an iota to criticize but it all unfortunately fell apart in the marquee final once again putting an abrupt halt to what had been an absolutely impressive show until then.
India's 3 major world titles in 2007, 2011 and 2013:
India did win 3 major titles viz the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy all within the span of 2007-13. This might sound like a golden period but not many can recall that India faltered big time in all the other world tourneys around that ball park. After winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, India failed to even reach the semi finals in the next 3 editions that took place in 2009, 2010 and 2012. India also failed to muster up at the 2009 Champions Trophy by not being able to reach the knock out phase in continuation to what happened at home three years prior in CT 2006. But what matters is when it really came down to being noticed, India under the astute tutelage of Mahendra Singh Dhoni were able to claim 3 major world events within a short span by establishing to go all the way. A young India did the unthinkable by claiming the inaugural T20 World Cup. India were able to soak all the pressure and raised their game in the crucial stages to win the home ODI World Cup in 2011. India also managed to rake up a Champions Trophy victory by defeating the hosts England in the final in a rain curtailed 20 over game.
Conclusion:
Thus stats and performance points out that India have not at all been a bad side when it comes to the major cricketing events conducted over the last decade. There have been some exceptional efforts coupled with plenty of individual brilliance but however when it really came to the crunch India as a team have not been able to deliver. It feels like a "Catch 22" situation but India have virtually been just a game or two away from winning almost all the major ICC events. It is definitely an irony that India has not been able to convert even one of those into a celebration. It has to be said that India has been poor when it comes to the clutch and this has happened a little way too often than expected. Nowadays, chances of winning big tournaments are higher for the players as many world cups keep happening routinely unlike the good old days when there was only one ODI world cup scheduled every 4 years. India have had too many one off bad days and every time that has come to haunt at the back end of the tournament unfortunately stalling their progress further. It may be argued that it's just a matter of time but India do have to measure and step up big time in the crucial stages. This current defeat in the home ODI World Cup of 2023 will rankle them no end as just one bad game curtailed their entire array of sterling performance right through the tournament. The pressure is only going to be all the more immense going forward with plenty of things to ponder like handling of senior players and getting the right mix in place for all 3 formats - Tests, ODIs and T20s. Hoping India is somehow able to get the mickey off the back and claim an illustrious multi nation cup victory very soon. It may be an irony but the fact is that consistent showings count for nothing because ultimately what sticks in memory is who wins at the end of the day.
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