Published 15:56 IST, June 13th 2023
Why does India fail to lift ICC trophies despite reaching finals? A detailed analysis
India lost the World Test Championship final against Australia by 209 runs at the Oval on Sunday. This is India's 2nd consecutive WTC final loss in two seasons.
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Why you're reading this: The Indian men's cricket team on Sunday lost yet another ICC final as they went down against Australia in the summit clash of the World Test Championship. India lost the one-off game by a massive margin of 209 runs, finishing runners-up in the two-year-long tournament. One of the key questions that is clouding everyone's mind since the defeat against Australia in the WTC final 2023 is why the Indian team fails to win ICC trophies despite reaching finals on most occasions.
3 things you need to know
- India reached five ICC finals since 2015 and have lost all of them (semis included).
- Of the five finals India played since 2015, Dhoni led in one, while Virat Kohli captained in four.
- India's last ICC title win came way back in 2013 when they defeated England to win the Champions Trophy.
Why does India fail to win ICC trophies despite reaching the finals?
Injury setbacks: India's chances at the WTC final were affected by a host of injuries to its key players. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah were all ruled out from the tournament because of various injury issues. Pant survived a horrific car accident in December 2021, while KL Rahul suffered an injury to his right thigh while playing in IPL 2023. Jasprit Bumrah, on the other hand, has been suffering from a back problem since last year.
Team selection: The Indian cricket team coped with a lot of criticism after the heavy defeat against Australia in the WTC final. One of the key factors behind their poor performance at the Oval could be the team formation. R Ashwin's exclusion from the playing XI shocked many people who felt the veteran spinner should have been part of the team for the final. Ashwin was India's top wicket-taker in the previous cycle of the World Test Championship.
Testing conditions: The Indian cricket team has a history of faltering in foreign conditions, especially in England, New Zealand, and Australia. Indian batsmen often find it hard to negate the swing and seam produced by the surfaces in those conditions. In the recently-concluded WTC final, the Indian top order once again failed to deliver with the bat, succumbing to the brilliant bowling of the opposition.
Image: PTI/Hotstar
15:56 IST, June 13th 2023