3 ways in which the current Indian ODI team has improved from the 2019 ODI World Cup

Monday, July 10, marks the fourth anniversary of Team India's heartbreaking defeat in the semifinal of the 2019 ODI World Cup against New Zealand at Old Trafford, Manchester.

It was a contest that traversed two days owing to rain halting proceedings after New Zealand played out a large part of their batting essay, before resuming on the reserve day.

India's top order came apart as the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul reduced them to 5/3. While Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni tried to rescue the Men in Blue, their world came crashing down once the latter was run out in the penultimate over.

Incidentally, this match also marked Dhoni's final appearance in international cricket.

The next edition of the ODI World Cup is set to take place in India from October 5 and the clock is ticking towards the same. With the aim to replicate what they achieved in 2011, the Men in Blue will be itching to bury the ghosts of 2019 and go the distance this time around.

On that note, let's assess three ways in which the current Indian ODI setup has improved from the 2019 World Cup.

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#1 More reliable middle-order options

If there was one massive Achilles heel for India ahead of the 2019 World Cup, it was the absence of a secure batter at No. 4. Ambati Rayudu was discarded at the last moment despite looking like the best bet, and someone as inexperienced as Rishabh Pant was at that time was thrown into the deep end of the cauldron.

The current ODI setup has certainly evolved from that event with Shreyas Iyer, Rahul, and Pant himself establishing themselves as solid middle-order bets. While the trio are nursing injuries at his point, they have proven to be very reliable and have grabbed their chances.

Sanju Samson has also done well in his limited opportunities while Hardik Pandya has evolved from an end-overs enforcer to a mature innings builder himself.

India certainly have a stronger pool of options to pick from this time around and seem better equipped on this front.

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#2 The presence of more genuine all-rounders

The sixth bowling option was always another factor which was touch-and-go for Team India at the 2019 World Cup. Kedar Jadhav fulfilled his role to great effect more often than not but once he was dropped from the playing XI, India were short on that front.

The landscape has tilted now though, with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja emerging as genuine batting all-rounders in the top seven. Axar Patel has been in outstanding form himself with the bat in recent times and can swiftly move up the order to counter spin should the need arise. The same can also be said about Washington Sundar, who has proven to be a genuine all-round option.

Lower down the order, Shardul Thakur can always chip in with quick runs to go with his uncanny ability to break partnerships with the ball.

While India's best XI for the 2023 World Cup might still be taking shape, the problem of all-round depth should not emerge unless there are a host of injuries.

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#3 Clarity on overall team composition

Axar Patel's recent form lends India a cutting edge in terms of their balance.

One can argue that India seemed set on their overall balance for the 2019 ODI World Cup and that wasn't a worrisome factor. Yet, the fact that they were left short of a sixth bowling option and had as many as four wicketkeeping options in their playing XI towards the business end of the tournament reflects that clarity has gone amiss.

If recent ODI endeavors are anything to go by, it's quite clear that two all-rounders in the top seven and four genuine bowling options are what the team is looking at. Whether the frontline bowling attack comprises a solitary spinner or two is something that remains to be seen, but they can always make a horse-for-course change depending on what conditions are thrown at them.

The question now remains as to what the final fifteen-member squad for the World Cup will look like. But the signs are that the think-tank is clear on having six genuine bowling options to be able to turn to at various stages of the game.

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Can India put the heartbreak of the 2019 ODI World Cup behind them and win the 2023 edition of the tournament? Have your say in the comments section below!

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