How could you expect India to Chase 338?

No one has ever chased a total of 330 or above in the history of World Cup cricket.

The highest chase ever in a World Cup match is 329, which was successfully done by Ireland against England in World Cup 2011.

So to expect India to chase a target of 338 was unreal.

How could you expect India to chase 338?

How could a team with the services of the best chaser in world cricket chase 338?

How could a team with the best finisher the game has ever seen chase 338?

Virat Kohli is the world’s number 1 ODI batsman and Rohit Sharma is the world number 2.

You can’t expect such average batsmen to challenge a total of 338.

Kohli has scored 5,066 runs, including 21 centuries, in successful run chases in ODIs. That is the second highest runs tally and highest number of centuries in successful ODI run chases in the history of the game.

Such mediocrity is the last thing you need when chasing 338.

Rohit, with 3,381 runs in successful run chases, is 8th in the same list.

Rohit knocked his 25th ODI century against England. Of all of his completed ODI centuries (where he did not remain not out), Rohit’s 102 against England is his lowest ever. Including not out hundreds, his 102 is the second lowest ever.

Seriously, you thought that such average players could chase 338?

MS Dhoni is at number 15 in the same list of batsmen with most runs in successful ODI chases. Dhoni has remained unbeaten in a successful run chase 47 times, which is a record – no one has finished more games than Dhoni has in the history of ODIs.

Overall while batting second, Dhoni has remained unbeaten 50 times. 47 times in wins, 1 time in a tie, and twice in a loss.

Yesterday against England was only the second time in his entire career that Dhoni remained unbeaten but did not close the game for India.

With such poor batsmen, especially while chasing, how could you expect India to chase a record total of 338 against England?

The same England whose bowlers were thrashed for 348 runs by Pakistan earlier in the World Cup.

How can you expect India to do the same?

England’s innings contained 13 sixes. Jonny Bairstow alone hit 6 of them. There was a short boundary of 57m on one side and England’s batsmen took full advantage of it.

You know how many sixes the Indian batsmen hit? One.

That too in the 50th over of their chase when 44 runs were required of 6 deliveries.

How could you expect these mediocre batsmen to clear a 57m boundary?

This is international cricket boss, not the damn IPL that the Pandyas and Dhonis of the world can come out and smash it from the first ball. It takes time.

How could you have expectations of players like these?

These batsmen are no modern greats.

They are mediocre batsmen who score less than 30 runs in the first 10 overs (the lowest first power play score in this World Cup) in a chase of 338; who happily take singles and doubles when the asking rate is beyond 10.

And you thought they could chase 338?

What a joke.