With the ODI series win against South Africa, a highly satisfying season for the Indian cricket team has come to an end. It has been one of many highs and some disappointing lows. Wining the tri-series in Sri Lanka while playing on poorly prepared pitches was an ideal start, though that waned off when Champions Trophy in South Africa and the ODI series at home against Australia proved fruitless. A high yielding home series against Lanka and then some boring cricket against Bangladesh, rounded off by a decent display against the South Africans meant that India finish at number one in Tests and number two in ODIs.

That right there is a target ready for the next season. To get to the top spot in 50-overs cricket with the big tournament coming up, now wouldn’t that be something? If at all, the past season has proved that India are a far better Test side at the moment than they are an ODI outfit. Maybe it is because of the experience factor that the seniors bring into the five-day game.

This implies a few worries that need to be addressed in the build up to the World Cup. Injuries are a part and parcel of the game but the team suffered way too many this past season. Barring Sachin Tendulkar, almost every batsman was out injured for some duration and missed games. While the batting was troubled by injury, the bowling showed a lack of depth and that is most worrying. Injuries can be taken care of though one is not sure of the same as concerns our bowling resources.

As one sat watching the third and final ODI between India and South Africa, it was worrying to see Abhimanyu Mithun and Sudeep Tyagi bowl. The Proteas just accelerated at will. It was not long ago that India was bursting at the seams with upcoming fast bowlers. Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, L Balaji, and later Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma spoiled the team management for choices. Then they started getting injured, and barring Khan and Sreesanth, were rendered unfit for the international game. Nehra did show the resoluteness to return but what about the others? A similar phenomenon is being witnessed in the spin department and it is worrying that one, Harbhajan Singh has no one to challenge his place in the side, and two, the second choice spinners Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha are proving to be too raw for the highest level. Piyush Chawla too has not returned from oblivion yet.

Sometime in the middle of the year when the team re-groups for a new season, coach Gary Kirsten and skipper MS Dhoni will have a job on their hands knowing only too well that a fit Zaheer and an in-form Bhajji hold the key to India’s challenge for the World Cup.

Oh and meanwhile, bring on the IPL!