Last Updated: July 12, 2023, 10:27 AM IST
Rohit Sharma says the West Indies tour will be a good challenge for his team. (AP Photo)
India have made the WTC final twice in a row but haven’t been able to win the title
India captain Rohit Sharma says injuries and luck have extended their wait for a first ICC title in a decade. The team reached the final of the two World Test Championship cycles in a row but finished runners-up both the times.
In 2021, they lost to New Zealand and then to Australia last month. This despite the team producing dominating displays in bilateral tournaments, across formats.
So the big question is: What’s the final piece of jigsaw that would enable them to avoid slipping right before the final hurdle?
Per Rohit, there are two.
“Firstly, I want everyone to be available. All my players who are there, I want them to be available 100 percent. I don’t want any injury concerns. That’s first and the foremost,” Rohit told reporters a day before his team takes on West Indies in the first match of a two-Test series.
India were without Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul for the WTC final with each undergoing rehabilitation for various fitness concerns.
“The second thing is, we haven’t crossed the line for a long time but I feel that as long as you keep ticking the boxes, keep playing good cricket, things will fall into place. Over the years, we have done a lot of good things. It’s just that sometimes you want luck to be on your side as well. If you look over last five-six years, we have played consistent cricket, have probably won everywhere. But yes, winning championships are important as well. Until, we get that championship, we are going to keep fighting hard for it.” Rohit said.
The current West Indies team may not come across a strong opponent but for Rohit, every series of WTC holds the same importance.
“Every series you play for India is challenging. Be it the new WTC cycle or final, every game is important. It’s obvious we played two finals in two cycles and didn’t get what we wanted. It’s a new opportunity, there are a lot of new players. It will be a good, different challenge in this cycle,” he said.
“West Indies play well at home. Their past record at home is good. So, it will be a good challenge for our team. I hope we do well,” he added.
