Michael Vaughan does not see India 'winning the World Cup', Here's why

Michael Vaughan has said that Team India cannot win a World Cup with the current team combination. It so happened that Virat Kohli & Co. had only played five bowlers in the first ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. As they did not have a sixth bowling option, the visitors ended up conceding a mammoth total of 374/6 after their frontline bowlers failed to contain the rampaging Australian batsmen.

In the end, the Men In Blue lost the contest by 66 runs. 

'The biggest concern for me': Michael Vaughan

“For India’s ODI team, the biggest concern for me, if I was a selector, or in the management, would be lack of 6th bowling option. They need at least 6 or 7 – and the lack of depth in this batting line-up. I know we are a long way off from the World Cup, but I just don’t see this formation winning the World Cup. With 5 or 6 bowling options, and 7 batsmen and then you are down to your bowlers. You think the IPL has been around for so many years, the selectors would have figured out players who could fill that role – whether it’s a couple of players in the top six who can bowl, or an allrounder. When Hardik starts bowling, they will have that bowler,” said Vaughan while speaking to CricBuzz.

“But once they start looking at the structure of the team to give themselves an even better chance of winning the World Cup in Indian conditions – because I don’t see, as we see, the formation they have right now, winning the World Cup,” the former English skipper added.

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India look to settle scores in 2nd ODI

Blistering centuries from skipper Aaron Finch (114) and Steven Smith (105) powered the Aussies to a mammoth score of 374/6 in their 20 overs as Team India had to pull off the second-highest run-chase in ODI history in order to go 1-0 up in the three-match series which did not happen.

In reply, opener Shikhar Dhawan (74) and middle-order batsman Hardik Pandya (90) tried to get the Men In Blue over the line with a 128-run fifth-wicket stand after losing the top-order at the score of 101 but it was just not enough as the visitors were restricted to 308/8. 

The second ODI will be played at the same venue on Sunday. Australia will be looking to seal the series while India will be hoping to settle scores.

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