The openers have not given India the start they were looking for, the bowlers have not taken wickets in the opening overs...
Despite India's dominant, unbeaten run to the Champions Trophy 2025 final, Sunil Gavaskar has identified key areas for improvement, stressing that perfection remains elusive.
While acknowledging the team's comprehensive victory over Australia in the semi-final and their flawless group stage performance, Gavaskar pinpointed specific concerns.
"When you look at the openers, they haven't really given the Indian team the kind of start that they had hoped for. That has not happened. So, clearly, I think there's a shortcoming over there," SMG, inarguably the finest Indian opening batsman of the 20th century, pointed out.
"Even with the new ball, you might want to take about 2 or 3 wickets in the first 10 overs. That's also not quite been happening. In the middle overs, we have not got wickets even though the runs have not been flowing," Sunny added.
"So those are areas that you get better in those areas, the better the chances of going on and winning the final," Gavaskar told the India Today television channel.
Gavaskar offered his unwavering support for India's current team composition, advocating for the continuation of their four-spinner strategy.
"I think it is going to be 4 spinners. It has to be. Why change now? Chakravarthy's inclusion, Kuldeep's inclusion has shown how effective they can be. And also, wicket-taking balls are the best dot balls in limited overs cricket or any format of the game. So they've been doing that, so there should be no change at all," he asserted.
In essence, Gavaskar acknowledged India's formidable performance but urged the team to address specific shortcomings to maximise their chances of winning the Champions Trophy.
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