Virat Kohli with Shubman Gill, captain Rohit Sharma, and Okay.L. Rahul in the course of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup match between India and Netherlands on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on November 12, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP
After 39 days and 45 matches, the lengthy group stage of the Cricket World Cup is over and 4 groups stay within the working for the title.
It’s India vs. New Zealand and South Africa vs. Australia within the semifinals this week.
Before that, it is time to take a look on the large storylines to emerge from the match:
Home benefit:
Playing at house has by no means been so vital in 50-over World Cups. The nation that was host or co-host has gained the final three tournaments — India in 2011, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019 — and the Indians have swept via the group stage of this version with 9 straight wins in entrance of their very own followers.
They knew the situations the perfect, they’re most conscious of the advantages of batting first or chasing in all venues, and are most snug within the atmosphere. Before 2011, solely as soon as had a number nation gained the occasion — Sri Lanka within the 1996 match it co-hosted with Pakistan and India, and the Sri Lankans solely staged two video games in complete amid safety considerations.
England wants revamp
The English arrived because the premier group in white-ball cricket, given their standing because the World Cup holders within the Twenty20 and 50-over codecs. The group that helped to revolutionize the ODI sport with an ultra-aggressive strategy has grown outdated, although, and English cricket authorities have taken their eye off the 50-over sport in favour of specializing in a red-ball reset of the check group and introducing The Hundred, a contentious new home match.
Together with the gamers possibly believing their very own hype, in addition to an unlikely downturn in kind, England has put in one of many worst title defenses conceivable, profitable three video games and ending in seventh place. England moved out of final spot by profitable its final two video games. So it is again to the drafting board for the English, who’ll must develop a contemporary younger group for the 2027 World Cup.
Afghanistan arrives
Looking on the large image, the story of this World Cup must be the coming-of-age shows of Afghanistan, for thus lengthy an easy-beat in worldwide cricket and now a group extensively admired due to its journey to the elite. Beating England in week two shook the match however wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Netherlands have proved that it was no fluke, and a sensational victory over Australia gave the impression to be on the playing cards earlier than Glenn Maxwell’s astonishing exploits.
This, keep in mind, is a group that has come a good distance shortly within the face of many challenges reminiscent of safety threats, ruined infrastructure and chronic poverty. It’s an inspirational story in a sport that may typically minimize off entry for low-ranking groups to the highest occasions and a sixth-place end shall be celebrated by many.
Enduring Kohli
No cricketer performs with extra stress on his shoulders than former India captain Virat Kohli. You would not understand it from his performances at this World Cup. This may finally go down as Kohli’s World Cup, with “The King” — as he’s generally referred — hitting two unbeaten a whole lot and 5 half-centuries, together with a 95 towards New Zealand that noticed him fall going for a match-clinching six.
He averaged 99 and led the scoring record with 594 runs within the group stage and that takes in a duck towards England. He even took a wicket — his first in ODIs since 2014 — within the final league sport towards Netherlands. At 35, approaching 300 ODIs and free of the captaincy, Kohli may by no means have been so good and that is saying one thing for a participant chosen by the ICC as the perfect males’s cricketer of the 2010s. Watch out Sachin Tendulkar — your file for many runs in ODIs (18,426) will not be protected.
Star performers
Aside from Kohli, there have been various star performers. South Africa opener Quinton de Kock has been essentially the most devastating batter with 591 runs, 23-year-old New Zealand allrounder Rachin Ravindra has been a revelation as the primary batter to attain three centuries and 565 runs on his World Cup debut and Maxwell’s tournament-high 201 not out to steer Australia to victory over Afghanistan final week is likely to be the best innings in any World Cup.
Of the bowlers, Adam Zampa’s spin has been a consolation blanket for the Australians after a gradual begin, particularly in his 3/21 towards England, and he led the wicket tally with 22. For India, paceman Jasprit Bumrah has taken 17 wickets and Mohammed Shami has snared two five-wicket hauls and comfortably the perfect common amongst specialist bowlers within the match.
Source: www.thehindu.com
