Fri Jan 10 11:15:18 UTC 2025: ## India’s Cricket Year: A Tale of Two Halves

**New Delhi** – India’s men’s cricket team experienced a year of stark contrasts in 2024, marked by triumphant highs and devastating lows. While the team celebrated a historic T20I World Cup victory after a 17-year drought and dominated the shortest format with 24 wins out of 26 matches, their performance in Test and ODI cricket plunged to unprecedented depths.

The year culminated in a disappointing loss of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia, marking their first home series defeat in a decade. This followed a string of poor results, including a winless ODI calendar year (their first in 45 years, with only three ODIs played) and only one win in their last seven Test matches. The 0-3 home Test series loss was a particularly stinging blow, described by former captain Anjum Chopra as a failure to even be “in the contest.”

While individual successes shone through – Jasprit Bumrah’s prolific wicket-taking, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive Test runs, and Rohit Sharma’s strong ODI average – the overall performance in Test and ODI cricket was deemed subpar.

A significant weakness exposed was the team’s vulnerability against quality spin bowling, particularly left-arm spinners. Their struggles were starkly evident in series against Sri Lanka and Australia, where left-arm spinners ran through the batting order. Experts attribute this to a combination of technical deficiencies, a shift in batting styles due to the dominance of T20 cricket, and a reluctance to defend with the pads due to the prevalence of DRS.

Looking ahead, the upcoming ODI series against England provides an opportunity to address these weaknesses. Concerns extend beyond batting technique; the over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling prowess in Test cricket also requires attention. Developing additional fast-bowling talent and reducing the burden on Bumrah is crucial. Additionally, questions remain regarding team management strategies, particularly around player selection and addressing internal issues. Former players advocate for more Ranji Trophy participation for underperforming players and stricter measures to curb information leaks from within the team. Ultimately, a return to the basics, including robust domestic competition and a focus on technical improvement, is deemed essential for India to regain its standing in Test and ODI cricket.

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