What next ...

    It is one of those days when you feel someone dear to you has passed. The last time I experienced this feeling was when Aus. thrashed India in the WC final in 2003. Oz. was just too dominant and India simply outclassed. The Indians have come a long way since then and won a few championships since. Today's thrashing by Pak. is a wake up call and India would be wise to use this as a lesson for 2019 WC. Agreed, it is still a couple of years away, the fans and players alike are sure to remember this for a long time, if not eternally.

  For all the honesty talk that Virat does, team composition and captaincy definitely needs introspection. Players must be played based on form rather than reputation. Yuvraj is India's finest match winner in a lot of tournaments but it is time to hang up his boots. He looks unfit and dare I say a liability in the field. Dhoni is off-colour with the bat with his skills waning over time. However, his wicket keeping and experience still valuable. Dhoni should take UV's position at 4 and leave the finishers role to some of the youngsters. Though the openers, failed today they were phenomenal throughout the tournament and have enough talent and grit to continue for years to come. KL Rahul is an able replacement should one of them regress. Virat, should assess his captaincy and hone his skills. He looks flustered when the going gets rough and his aggression/hot-hotheadedness make it even worse. His read of the game definitely needs improvement. Though there are chinks in his batting, expect him to iron these out and come out even stronger. When he does retire, see him becoming the greatest ODI batsmen ever, whatever be the metric.

  For once. India is blessed with an abundance in pace/seam bowling which will serve us well for years to come. In Bhuvi, Bumrah, Umesh, Shami and others (Thampi, Siraj) we have a formidable line up. However, the right people need to be played with a horses for courses approach. The captain needs to show courage and imagination in picking the right players instead of going with the same team that won the last game. Past history is not indicative of future returns. Ironically, it is the spinners who have become sort of a weak link. Ashwin and Jadeja have been average at best and their positions up for grabs. They are beginning to look more like test bowlers. Kuldeep, Chahal, Sundar and Axar are options that merit consideration. Kuldeep with his variation could be a match winner. Similar to pace, a pool of 5-7 spinners need to be formed and played based on form and opposition.

  Hardik is a wise investment for the long term and needs to be nurtured. The all rounder's spot is his to lose. His bowling can only improve and India need to be patient with him. He is a x-factor and the one to watch in the coming years. Manish Pandey is another diamond in the making and needs to be given more chances. Fancy him taking UV's spot and believe a worthy replacement. His fielding is absolutely world class. Between Shreyas Iyer, Pant, Samson, Rana, Kedar and rest there are also plenty to choose from.

  The future looks bright and alike 1983 WC we will have an Indian captain hosting the trophy come 2019. Believe and keep the hunger alive !

Jai Hind !