After having built a world-class Test team that had finally learnt the art of consistently winning Test matches around the globe, India had the opportunity to seal their legacy as one of the greatest Test teams in the history of the sport. Yet, they faltered, not once, but twice.

What has stopped India from crossing the final hurdle and getting their hands on the elusive World Test Championship mace, and where do they need to improve to break the jinx?

Start the transition early in the next cycle

The Indian team that played the WTC final against Australia had eight players above the age of thirty, of which six were above thirty-four. Seven of them featured in the XI of the 2021 WTC final against New Zealand, and the count could have been nine had Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah not been injured.

Mohammed Shami is a master at what he does, but is neither a classical hit-the-deck bowler nor a conventional swing bowler, which is perhaps one of the reasons why he has looked good in overseas Test matches but has not had the numbers India would have liked.

It is of utmost importance that the Indian management identifies these skillsets and develops fast bowlers who they think have the potential of fulfilling these roles.

Give enough time to acclimatise to conditions and prepare for games, including WTC Finals

“The schedules were very tight. We hardly got a few weeks preparation after the IPL, plus there weren’t any tour games,” said head coach Rahul Dravid after the final.

There is some truth in this. The WTC final started around a week after the IPL final. Adapting from the slam-bang format in India to Test cricket in England requires more time than that, especially in a one-off game with no chance of a comeback.

The BCCI needs to set its priorities clear and possibly start the IPL a week or more earlier, or allow the Test regulars to skip the later stages of the tournament and head over to wherever the WTC final is going to be played (if India reaches the final, that is).