The last time Team India were in action it ended in disappointment as the team and fans had to endure yet another defeat in a major trophy final. India were pitted against Australia in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 at the Oval, London. They faced a thorough thrashing by 209 runs as the Aussies became the first team to possess major trophies in all three formats of the game.
For India, it was yet another year of disappointment as the wait for a major trophy extends itself to 10 years. The last trophy of note was the Champions Trophy that India won under the leadership of MS Dhoni in England in 2013. Moreover, this was also the second consecutive loss for India in the WTC Final in two cycles as India had also suffered heartbreak at the hands of New Zealand last time out.
Skipper Rohit Sharma joins his team at the West Indies
Following the tough swallow, Indian team members were seen cooling it off in a short off-season with some vacations. However, now it’s back to business as the next crucial bilateral series come knocking. India will be playing a multi-format tour in the West Indies and the USA. The tour includes two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is against the Caribbeans.
The squads for the same were announced sometime back by the Indian Cricket Board. As of now, team India members have been travelling to the Caribbean lands in shifts. The most recent updates confirm that skipper Rohit Sharma has joined the company and the team is all set to start practice for the upcoming games. If reports are to be believed, Team India’s training begins on Saturday, July 2 with the tour set to kick off with the first Test on July 12.
Notably, this Test series will also channel the start of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle for India. The cycle has already been underway, starting with the coveted Ashes 2023. India will play their first game against the West Indies and will be looking to kickstart the points tally with a first win.
Here’s how fans reacted:
ICC trophies to India: pic.twitter.com/LyNW4tUzDk
— W𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋_09🐺 (@Lonewolf09_) July 2, 2023
Ab to West Indies se khelna bhi zimbabwe se Chhota lag raha
— Rahul Khandelwal 🇮🇳 (@RahulKh00912351) July 2, 2023
Kia faida 3 saal bad phr haar jana final
— Badar Bajwa (@BadarBajwa786) July 2, 2023
Irrelevant tour just to improve personal records.
— Sonu (@Sonu_1827) July 2, 2023
Practice for WTC final - 6days
— KL Rahul Fan (@Jasmeetsingh707) July 2, 2023
Practice for minnow WI - 12 days
I think skipping practice might make things more competitive
— Eddy Gecko 🏸 (@EddyGecko) July 2, 2023
Irrelevant team & series
— GOAT (@Rohit_GOAT264) July 2, 2023
India A team is enough for WI tour but instead of giving chance to youngster BCCI is sending such team as if we'll play against SENA
— RK (@MahiGOAT07) July 2, 2023