Sourav Ganguly reveals Team India's region of improvement to win critical games

Why you’re reading this: India lost the ICC World Test Championship 2023 to Australia last week, marking their second consecutive WTC loss after losing to New Zealand in 2021. The team has been criticised for failing to deliver at major tournaments, as India has failed to win an international trophy. Their final title sweep was in 2013 when they won the Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni. owing to their situation, Sourav Ganguly made a huge statement on the conditions of the current squad after the setback in England.

3 things you need to know

• India was defeated in the WTC Final 2023 by 209 runs
• Top Indian batters failed to secure a single century in the WTC Final 2023 
• Sourav Ganguly made a huge statement on the team’s condition

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What did Sourav Ganguly say about the Indian cricket team?

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly emphasized the importance of matching aggression with performance in order for India to succeed in the knockout games of ICC events after many failures in the past decade. After India's 209-run loss to Australia in the World Test Championship Final, which extended their lack of ICC trophies since the 2013 Champions Trophy, Ganguly made these remarks.

During an interview on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues,' Ganguly mentioned,

"Aggression is fine but you also need performance with that. If you see the five-six years between 2001 and 2006, India's batting scored 500-600 runs in big-big venues, whether it was Sydney, Brisbane, Headingley, Nottingham, Oval, Peshawar, Islamabad or Lahore, due to which they put the opposition team under pressure."

Ganguly recalled India's success between 2001 and 2006, highlighting how their batting line-up consistently posted 500-600 runs in significant venues, putting pressure on the opposition. Although he acknowledged the changes in Test cricket over the past decade, Ganguly stressed the importance of India scoring substantial first-innings totals, suggesting a target of 350-400 runs.

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When asked if the team lacked confidence against Australia, what did he say? 

India had trouble batting in the most recent WTC final, as Australia dismissed them for 296 and 234 in each of their two innings. Similar to this, they made scores of 217 and 170 against New Zealand in the 2021 WTC final, ultimately losing by eight wickets. Despite these difficulties, Ganguly disproved the idea that the Indian squad lacks confidence. He cited Rishabh Pant's heroics on the last day of the series against Australia as proof of the team's confidence in their ability, as well as their powerful plays at England in 2021 and Australia in 2020–21.

"I don't agree that this team does not have the belief. We played well in England in 2021 and before that, we played good cricket in Australia in 2020-21, where Rishabh Pant won us the series on the last day, I feel that happens with belief only." he added

Fortunately, the Indian players will have a welcome break of nearly a month before their multi-format tour of the West Indies. This period of rest will be crucial for the team as they prepare for the upcoming ODI World Cup later this year.