CWC '23: Fitness of THESE two players key for India's campaign, says former Aussie batsman Tom Moody

India's ICC ODI World Cup squad raised a few questions about the host team being a bit conservative and giving batting depth a priority over wicket-taking options. The 15-man squad has only one specialist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav and three genuine fast bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj.

However, if the ongoing Asia Cup is any indication, India will only play two of their three fast bowlers in the match, with Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav bowling the rest of the 30 overs. While the squad looks balanced, a lack of out-and-out wicket-taking options in the middle overs could hamper India's chances.

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Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody, however, thinks that India have a balanced side and that 'home advantage' is going to be big for them. Moody also added that Bumrah and Shami's fitness is going to be the key for India in the quadrennial tournament.

“Yes, I think they have a side that’s good enough to win the World Cup. I think home advantage will be a big one for India, but I bring that point around the fitness. The fitness of Bumrah and Shami is absolutely key to me as both of them are high-quality new ball bowlers,” Moody said in a conversation on Star Sports.

“I think a lot of it depends on the fitness and longevity of Bumrah. I think he holds such an important key for India because he has such high quality and impacts the game early and also closes the innings. And I see that it’s basically going to be a difficult World Cup with regards to making sure that you keep your bowlers fit. It’s a long campaign, but India certainly have got the diversity in their side. It’s just the case of them making sure they have their key players fit, particularly their bowlers,” he added.

The marquee event starts October 5 with the final scheduled to take place on November 19.

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