CWC 2019: Road to the Semi-finals
The rigour of permutations and combinations for the top four teams in the World Cup is over. The four teams which were favourites to end in the top four before the tournament began have got there. India, Australia, England and New Zeland will fight it out among themselves in the knockouts and we will have our final winner on 14th July at Lord’s. Here’s how these four teams secured their spots in the semi-finals.
India
They were indisputably the best team of the group stage. Arriving late at the World Cup, Virat Kohli’s men were in the top gear from the first match itself. First four matches were India’s toughest challenge and they went through it comfortably with three wins from three completed games.
Rohit Sharma, with five centuries from eight matches, and Jasprit Bumrah, with his sensation bowling efforts, have been the show-stoppers for India in this World Cup. Captain Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami have been a great support. Although the middle-order rut is yet to be sorted, India have been the team to beat in this tournament. The side sealed their semi-final spot with one match remaining and clinched the top place with the win over Sri Lanka.
Played: 9, Win: 7, Loss: 1, No result: 1 (W W L W W W NR W W)
Most runs: Rohit Sharma (647 runs)
Most wickets: Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets)
Australia
Dominating the tournament till the very last day of the group stage, Australia will be ruing the loss against South Africa in their final game. The second loss in the tournament consigned them to the second spot in the points table below India.
Australia’s journey in the World Cup has not been as daunting as it looks. After surviving a scare against West Indies, they were trounced by the Indian side. The five-time champions recovered well and went on to become the first team to qualify. David Warner, Aaron Finch and Alex Carey have been consistent with the bat while Mitchell Starc, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, has been fiery with the ball. Australia have played in eight semi-finals so far and have lost none.
Played: 9, Win: 7, Loss: 2 ( L W W W W W L W W )
Most runs: David Warner (638 runs)
Most wickets: Mitchell Starc (26 wickets)
England
Favourites of the tournament, England, started off the campaign with a comprehensive win over South Africa. Their loss against Pakistan in the next match was considered a one-off as England crushed its next three opponents. Then Sri Lanka happened. The 20-run loss was followed by a defeat against Australia at the Lord’s.
England then needed to defeat India and New Zealand to stay alive in the tournament. Raising the game, Eoin Morgan’s men went past both the hurdles and sealed a spot in the semi-finals. The English batting lineup may not have breached the 400-run barrier but have celebrated seven centuries, most by any team in the World Cup so far.
Played: 9, Win: 6, Loss: 3 ( W W L L W W W L W )
Most runs: Joe Root (500 runs)
Most wickets: Jofra Archer (17 wickets)
New Zealand
The eternal dark horses, New Zealand, have clinched their ninth semi-final appearance. Their match against India will be their fifth consecutive semi-final in the World Cup. The Blackcaps started with three solid wins over three lower-ranked sides. After a washout against India, New Zealand picked up two more victories to earn five wins in their six games.
However, the close win against West Indies kickstarted their downfall. Losing three matches on the trot, Blackcaps lost to Pakistan, Australia and England. This allowed Pakistan to jump back in the qualification scenario but the Kiwis prevailed thanks to their superior net run rate. Captain Williamson has been in a stellar form while Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult have been providing timely breakthroughs.
Played: 9, Win: 5, Loss: 3, No result: 1 ( L L L W W NR W W W)
Most runs: Kane Williamson (481 runs)
Most wickets: Lockie Ferguson (17 wickets)
