India has a world-class batting unit but moving ball is their weakness: Alastair Cook

Former England skipper Alastair Cook has stated that India has a world-class batting unit but playing against the moving ball is their weakness. Indian batting order has the experience under their belt but they tend to struggle against the swing in challenging English conditions.

India could only score 217 and 170 runs in both innings of the WTC Final and their batting order did let the team down in the big match. It is not easy to hit the ground running in English conditions and one needs good match practice to get used to the conditions.

India has quality batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, who all have the experience under their bag but they were not get going in the all-important final against New Zealand.

One needs to be at the top of his game to negate the swinging conditions of England but the Indian batsmen did look at sea in the WTC Final.

“India is a great side. England will always fancy their chances more if that ball moves. If the conditions are like that in the month of August with moisture around, England will fancy bowling to that Indian side.

“Yes, they are a world-class batting unit. But their big weakness is the ball that moves, if it nips. You always fancy your chances against them,” Cook said on BBC Test Match Special Podcast episode.

On the other hand, Cook believes India got a bit more confident in picking their playing XI for the WTC Final. The Indian team had the option to change their playing XI as the opening day was washed out but Virat Kohli decided to back his spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – despite overcast conditions.

“They (India) got a bit confident in picking that side three days out before (the game) and playing two spinners where they pretty much knew it was going to rain for a lot of that game. So a lot of seam bowling was bowled.

“Even though their spinners are world-class, they got a little bit ahead of themselves there,” Cook said.