10 characteristics of a champion team that India lack at present

India are the No 1 Test team in the World. Team India would continue to be the No 1 team irrespective of the results of the ongoing India-West Indies series and Australia-Pakistan series.

Before going into the complicated computations of the ICC ranking system, let us first examine whether the current Indian team deserves the No 1 Test ranking purely based on their performance in the middle. To relate more to the current Indian team, the performances of the last 5 years have been taken into account.

Our assessment is going to be simple in the sense that we are going to test the quality of the current Indian team with certain proven features of the number one Test teams of the past. The performances of the invincible West Indies teams of the 80s and the Australian teams of the 90s and their champion qualities have been taken as yardsticks to measure the performances of the current Indian team.

Characteristics of a Number one Test team

1. Decent overseas record

The first and foremost characteristic of a number one Test team is an even record all over the world, especially in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries. The Sri Lankan and Bangladesh wickets are similar to the Indian wickets. The wickets in the Carribean have slowed down a lot over a period of time, so has their standard of cricket. There is no fun in scoring bucket full of runs or claiming so many wickets on sub-continental wickets against deplorable opponents.

The real challenge for a No 1 ranked team like India is to win Test series in SENA countries. Let us first verify whether this team has done that.

a) India in South Africa in 2013

This was Jacques Kallis’s farewell series. In this series, India should have won the first Test at Johannesburg. India set South Africa a target of 458 to score in the fourth innings of the match. South Africa were on the mat at 197 for 4. Any other champion team would have forced the issue. But India allowed the game to drift.

Both Faf du Plessis and A.B. de Villiers scored centuries. What was more depressing was the manner in which both the batsmen scored runs quickly on a fifth-day pitch. Thankfully for India, both AB and Faf got out at the wrong time. In the end, South Africa were just 8 runs short with 3 wickets in hand when the umpires took off the bails.

The second Test was Jacques Kallis’ - the greatest all-rounder of this era - last Test match. South Africa thrashed India by 10 wickets to win the series 1-0. Kallis finished his career with a century.

b) India in New Zealand in 2014

New Zealand won the first Test by 40 runs. It was a close match in which India showed a lot of fighting qualities of a Champion team. However, in the end, they could not close things out and lost by a narrow margin of 40 runs. The second Test ended in a draw and New Zealand won the series 1-0.

c) India in England in 2014

India had the best start to this 5 Test series. India drew the first Test match and won the second Test and took a 1-0 lead. But they inexplicably lost the next three Tests. Finally, the series was won by England by a margin of 3-1.

d) India in Australia in 2014

Australia won this four-Test series 2-0. After losing the first two Test matches, India showed some fight to draw the next two Test matches. The first Test match in Adelaide was a close contest which India lost by 48 runs. Virat Kohli, captaining the Indian team for the first time, scored a hundred in both the innings of that Test match. At one point of time, India were 242 for 2 chasing a target of 364. But they never had the killer instinct to finish off the match.

e) India in South Africa in 2018

India lost the first two matches before coming back into the series with a win in the third Test at Johannesburg. But by that time the series was settled in South Africa’s favour.

f) India in England in 2018

After losing the first Test by a narrow margin of 31 runs, a lot was expected of India. But they surrendered to the conditions in the second Test at Lord’s. India made a comeback by winning the third Test. Thereafter, they lost focus and the series 4-1.

It is clear that India have won a couple of overseas Test matches here and there. But they were never in a position to win an overseas Test series in the last 5 years. Again, most of the overseas series were settled against India with one match to spare. In other words, the SENA countries have a strong hold over India on their home grounds.

It is nothing new for a team to lose an overseas Test series. But that is not at all expected from a Champion team.

So this Indian team falls short in the first and foremost test for a Champion side because of their poor overseas record.

2. Batsmen for all conditions

Kohli is the only batsman in the Indian team who can score anywhere in the world

If you are a Champion team, you should have at least 3 batsmen who could score runs in all conditions. You should have a Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and a V.V.S Laxman in the team. In the current Indian team, only Virat Kohli has such unique qualities. Ajinkya Rahane was earlier considered a consistent batsman in overseas conditions but of late Rahane has lost his consistency. Pujara’s overseas records are average, to say the least. The others are all flat track bullies who would be a burden to the team on overseas tours.

The current Indian team has only one world class batsman who can score in all conditions. They don’t have a Sehwag to take the opposition bowlers by the scruff of their neck. That diminishes the quality of a champion team.

3. Ability to take 20 wickets in a match

Bumrah and Ishant Sharma - Two very good fast bowlers for India

In order to win a Test match, any team should have bowlers who are capable of taking 20 wickets. It is true that the current Indian team has very good fast bowlers to fit that bill.

In the recent England series, the Indian bowlers did a commendable job by taking 20 wickets in the first, third and fourth Test matches. In the second Test at Lord’s, in the only innings they bowled, the bowlers took 7 wickets for almost 400 runs. Again, in the second innings of the last Test match at the Oval, the Indian bowlers gave away 423 runs claiming 8 wickets in the process.

It was in the South African series that the Indian bowlers showed their prowess by taking all the possible wickets in that 3 Test series. It was the Indian batsmen who let the bowlers down both in South Africa and England. The only area of concern for the Indian bowlers is allowing the tail to wag which is discussed elsewhere in this article.

To sum up, this Indian team has quality fast bowlers to conquer overseas conditions.

4. The ability to seize the day – The Killer instinct

Sam Curran - The major beneficiary of India's generosity

Another quality of a champion team is the ability to seize the occasion. The mighty West Indians and the Australians were quite capable of dominating the opponents and not allowing them to slip away. Those teams were relentless in their pursuit to win each and every match at all cost.

The current Indian team is found wanting on a number of occasions when they let the game slip out of their reach. The team lacks the killer instinct to finish off matches.

A fine example of that was the first Test at Johannesburg in 2013 when they failed to finish off South Africa in the fourth innings. From 197 for 4, South Africa was left off the hook to recover to 450 for 7, chasing a target of 458.

Even in the Adelaide Test in 2014, India were in a winning position before they caved in. In the first Test at Edgbaston in 2018, India didn’t have the stomach to chase down a gettable target of 196. In South Africa, the Indian batsmen failed to chase down 207 in the first Test.

The above results proved the point that the Indians were never able to up the ante and grab the occasion when the opportunity presented itself.

5. Ability to finish off the tail

This point is interrelated to the earlier point about killer instinct. The champion teams of the past never allowed the tail to wag. Against the West Indies fast bowling quartet, the tailenders were more than willing to return to the safety of the pavilion rather than losing their limbs. Australia had Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne to polish off the tail.

Pakistan had the great Wasim and Waqar to bowl their yorkers at will at the tailenders. There were innumerable occasions when opposition teams were comfortably placed against Pakistan for the loss of a couple of wickets. Then suddenly Wasim and Waqar used to come in for their second spell to terminate the middle-order, late-order and the tail, all in one stroke.

The Indian team has been guilty of allowing the opposition tail to wag which proved to be the turning point in so many matches.

Statistical highlight of the success of the England tail in the recent England series

1. In the second innings of the first Test, England were reduced to 87 for 7 with all the specialist batsmen back in the pavilion. Then the Indian bowlers failed to finish off the tail and the last 3 England wickets added 93 runs. In the end, India finished up losing the match by just 31 runs.

2. In the second Test at Lord’s, in the only innings that England batted, England were in a spot of bother at 131 for 5 before Bairstow and Chris Woakes added 189 runs for the 6th wicket. Finally, from 131 for 5 England declared at 396 for 7. Chris Woakes, the bowling all-rounder, scored his maiden Test century.

3. In the first innings of the fourth Test, England were 86 for 6. The last 4 wickets added 160 runs to reach a competitive score of 246.

4. In the second innings of the fourth Test, England were 122 for 5. The last 5 wickets added 149 runs to set up a target of 245 runs for India to win. India lost that match by 60 runs.

5. In the fifth Test match at the Oval, at one stage, England were precariously placed at 181 for 7. Jos Buttler got reprieved twice by technology even though the on-field call was out. Buttler, with the help of the tailenders, added 151 runs for the last 3 wickets.

The outcome of the England series would have been different had India not allowed the England tail to wag. Another important facet of a champion team that is missing in the present Indian team.

6. The presence of a genuine all-rounder

Hardik Pandya has a long way to go to establish himself as a genuine Test all-rounder

To win a Test series abroad, a team should have a genuine all-rounder. That all-rounder should preferably be a fast bowling all-rounder to suit the conditions prevalent in SENA countries.

The Indian team has only one upcoming all-rounder in Hardik Pandya. In the recent Test series in South Africa and England, on a total of 16 occasions, Pandya clicked only on 3 occasions, twice as a batsman and once as a bowler. This was just an average performance for a player aspiring to become a genuine all-rounder. The spin bowling all-rounders like Ashwin and Jadeja were not all that successful with the bat outside India.

Teams like South Africa had multi-dimensional players like Jacques Kallis. The mighty West Indies had the legendary Gary Sobers. Adam Gilchrist, with his batting abilities, filled in as a different kind of all-rounder for Australia. Steve Waugh was a genuine all-rounder in the early part of his career before a back injury laid him off from the bowling crease.

In that regard, Team India is lacking a genuine all-rounder who is capable of changing the course of a match with either his batting or bowling. There are so many bits-and-pieces cricketers who are more suited for white ball cricket than for Test cricket.

7. The outcome of the toss is irrelevant for a Champion team

Kohli has been at the wrong end of the coin toss, of late

A Champion team doesn’t depend on the outcome of a toss to win a Test match. Winning the toss, of course, is vital but the outcome of a toss is not in any one’s control. A Champion team would prepare itself for both scenarios - batting first and bowling first.

In the heyday of West Indies cricket in the 80s, there used to be a slogan going around which read, “If you win the toss, Roberts and Holding would get you, If you don’t, Greenidge and Haynes certainly would do”. Such was their total dominance.

In the recent England series, India lost the toss in all the 5 Test matches which had a big impact on the final outcome of the series. Virat Kohli was extremely unlucky to lose all the 5 tosses. England had the upper hand in every match even before a single ball was bowled.

Again in South Africa, India lost the toss and with that the match in the first 2 Tests. When they were lucky with the toss in the third Test, they managed to overpower the home team.

It will be very difficult for a visiting team to come back into the game after losing the toss. But if you are a champion, you should defy the odds to take control of the match. Team India has a long way to go in this regard.

8. The strength of the bench

A champion team should have a solid bench strength of fringe players. There should be a pool of equally good players to replace an injured player. For India, thanks to the IPL, the selectors are able to unearth new and exciting talent. But that talent is on display only in home conditions. This is particularly in the case of Indian batsmen.

During the home series, the selectors will have the problem of plenty and a lot of batsmen to choose from. But the moment such players go abroad, the cupboard suddenly becomes empty. The team finds it difficult to fill the playing XI with quality batsmen. This is not a good sign for a Champion team like India.

Besides, a Champion team doesn’t resort to constant chopping and changing which is a sure sign of vulnerability.

9. Ability to use the DRS judiciously

Kohli has been impulsive with his DRS calls

The DRS is a relatively new concept. But the Decision Review System has now become part and parcel of cricket. The technology has dramatically changed the fate and fortunes of individual players and the teams. A good team should know how to use the technology judiciously. They should know when and when not to go for the Review. The Captain should also know against which batsman the DRS should be used.

The Indian captain Virat Kohli has always been impulsive with his DRS calls. In the absence of Dhoni in Test matches, Kohli is left with only himself and the bowler to arrive at a decision in 15 seconds. The Indian team’s success rate with DRS has been poor. The Indian batsmen were also found guilty in burning up the reviews when they clearly knew that they were out. This is one aspect of the game they should try to master in the future.

10. Fielding skills

Jadeja is a live wire for India in the field

In the recent series in England, the Indian slip cordon dropped too many catches. K.L. Rahul was outstanding but others were rusty. Champion teams of the past like the West Indies and Australian teams had very good slip fielders to support their fast bowlers.

The presence of Ravindra Jadeja in the Oval Test suddenly improved the fielding standards of the team. But they should have specialist fielders in specialist positions. Again, when a fine catch is taken by an Indian fielder, the players will have to defer from their celebrations if the bowler happens to be Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has been guilty of overstepping on a number of occasions in the recent past. A Champion team doesn’t give second opportunities to its opponents.

To conclude, India are the No 1 team according to the ICC rankings. But the current team would struggle to fulfil the above criteria of a Champion team.

On the positive side, India have a good fast bowling attack to take 20 wickets in overseas conditions. Their fielding has improved in the recent past. They have an unbeaten record at home.

On the flip side, India have only one world-class batsman who is capable of scoring anywhere in the world. Their poor overseas record, the absence of a genuine all-rounder, lack of killer instinct and the inability to finish off innings are the factors which work against them.