Virat Kohli with Shubman Gill, captain Rohit Sharma, and Okay.L. Rahul through 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 operating 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 dwelling has by no means been so essential in 50-over World Cups. The nation that was host or co-host has received the final three tournaments — India in 2011, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019 — and the Indians have swept by the group stage of this version with 9 straight wins in entrance of their very own followers.
They knew the circumstances one of the best, they’re most conscious of the advantages of batting first or chasing in all venues, and are most snug within the setting. Before 2011, solely as soon as had a bunch nation received 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 crew in white-ball cricket, given their standing because the World Cup holders within the Twenty20 and 50-over codecs. The crew that helped to revolutionize the ODI sport with an ultra-aggressive method has grown outdated, although, and English cricket authorities have taken their eye off the 50-over sport in favour of specializing in a red-ball reset of the check crew and introducing The Hundred, a contentious new home match.
Together with the gamers perhaps believing their very own hype, in addition to an unlikely downturn in type, England has put in one of many worst title defenses possible, 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 have to develop a contemporary younger crew 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 therefore lengthy an easy-beat in worldwide cricket and now a crew 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 seemed to be on the playing cards earlier than Glenn Maxwell’s astonishing exploits.
This, keep in mind, is a crew that has come a great distance shortly within the face of many challenges equivalent to safety threats, ruined infrastructure and persistent poverty. It’s an inspirational story in a sport that may usually minimize off entry for low-ranking groups to the highest occasions and a sixth-place end will probably be celebrated by many.
Enduring Kohli
No cricketer performs with extra strain on his shoulders than former India captain Virat Kohli. You would not realize it from his performances at this World Cup. This would possibly finally go down as Kohli’s World Cup, with “The King” — as he’s generally referred — hitting two unbeaten a whole bunch and 5 half-centuries, together with a 95 in opposition to New Zealand that noticed him fall going for a match-clinching six.
He averaged 99 and led the scoring listing with 594 runs within the group stage and that takes in a duck in opposition to England. He even took a wicket — his first in ODIs since 2014 — within the final league sport in opposition to Netherlands. At 35, approaching 300 ODIs and free of the captaincy, Kohli would possibly by no means have been so good and that is saying one thing for a participant chosen by the ICC as one of the best males’s cricketer of the 2010s. Watch out Sachin Tendulkar — your document for many runs in ODIs (18,426) just isn’t protected.
Star performers
Aside from Kohli, there have been plenty of 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 guide Australia to victory over Afghanistan final week may 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 sluggish begin, particularly in his 3/21 in opposition to 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 one of the best common amongst specialist bowlers within the match.
