'If they miss out this time...': Ravi Shastri issues a warning to Team India

NEW DELHI: If Team India fails to prolong their dominant run in the current World Cup, Ravi Shastri believes they will have to wait another three World Cups to compete for the crown.
Shastri stated on the Club Prairie Fire podcast that the majority of the squad players are at their peak, giving India the best chance of ending their ICC title drought.
The programme also featured Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan.

"This country is going mad. The last time they won it was 12 years ago. They have an opportunity to do it again. The way they are playing, this is probably their best chance," said the former India head coach.
"If they miss out this time, they would probably have to wait another three World Cups before even thinking of trying to win it. The pool of players is such that 7-8 players are at their peak.
"This could well be their last World Cup. The way they are playing, given the conditions, they have got the team to win it."

So far in the competition, the Indian bowling attack has annihilated batsmen. The pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj has created the most noise with the ball, while the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav has been unstoppable in the middle overs.
Shastri believes that the current crop of bowlers is the greatest that India has ever had.
"It is extraordinary and it has taken time, it has not happened overnight. They have been playing with each (of them) for four to five years. Siraj joined the party three years ago.
"They know the kind of areas to hit on a consistent basis. They know it is not important to look flashy when you bowl. It is more about consistency and getting the ball in the right areas.

"In this World Cup, they have hardly bowled any short balls. If there is a short ball, it is used as a surprise weapon. 90 per cent of the time they have been targeting the stumps like you must do in India hitting those three-quarters lengths.
"Because of their seam positions, they are getting the ball to nip around and that is causing a lot of problems. It is the best attack in 50 years ever since white-ball cricket started," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)