Indian cricket has grown across decades. It started with winning the world in 1983. Then, India started winning overseas, started winning cups, formed its own league – IPL, which is regarded as the world’s largest league, and finally winning T20 and ODI World Cups, followed by Champions Trophy.
In its latest addition, India achieved yet another feat. It became one of the first countries to assemble two national teams at a single point in time to play two different international series across different continents.
The first Indian cricket team is scheduled to play the WTC(World Test Championship) final against New Zealand followed by a five-match test series versus the home team England. The team will be staying in England till the end of September.
The second Indian cricket team will be travelling to Sri Lanka to play a limited over series starting July 13 which will include 3 ODIs and 3 T20s.
India did what Australia couldn’t
“This idea of assembling a second Indian team is very interesting. What India is trying to do today, Australia did this years ago. But they were not able to be successful in it. India appears to be pulling it off. For the first time, I think it is happening that a national cricket team will be playing two different series. One side in one country and the other side in some other country, and both are national teams,” said former cricketing legend Inzamam-ul-Haq
“India at this time has so much strength that they are capable of doing this. Their pool of players is so huge that they are able to manage this. If we look at the players who will travel to Sri Lanka, it will appear if this is India’s main team, such is their bench strength,” Inzamam said.
“India has improved their First-Class structure and then there is the IPL as well that has helped assemble two different teams at the same time. It’s almost as if India has prepared 50 guys who are ready to play for the national team,” he added.
India will play the World Test Championship starting June 18. Then it will play a five-match test series against England starting August 4, 2021.
Indian cricket Squad for WTC and Test Series – Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance)
