World Cup 2019, Days 4-6: Early Winners and Losers

 

World Cup 2019

Days 4-6: Early Winners and Losers

June 6^th 2019

Seven matches in and we have our first shocks… and, finally, India are about to get a game. What is more, it is not just any old game: South Africa are India’s opponents knowing that, if they lose and start with 3 defeats from 3, they will be teetering on the brink of elimination by the fastest route. Barring a combination of bad luck and run rate, a side with three defeats should progress safely to the Semi-Finals; a side with four defeats needs things to fall their way to make it through. South Africa know that they have real issues. While they might have expected to struggle against England, the way that Bangladesh controlled the game against them was alarming: even when it looked as if South Africa were cruising, you had the feeling that it was never really escaping from Bangladesh’s control.

In contrast, India will have looked at the early results with some satisfaction. Happy for England to be encumbered with the title of tournament favourites, they have watched England slip-up, following a ruthless display against South Africa, with a distinctly sloppy one against Pakistan, who they had beaten so comfortably in the pre-tournament series. Everything that England did right against South Africa (tight bowling, brilliant fielding, calm batting) they did wrong against Pakistan. That England got so close and, indeed, into a position from which they should have won, was down to brilliant innings from Joe Root and Jos Buttler, but, when both got out just as the chase seemed under control, a revived Pakistan were not to be denied. After eleven consecutive defeats, Pakistan are up and running, but India will feel confident that they have their measure.

Sri Lanka won against a spirited, but limited Afghanistan, who must have viewed this match as one of their best chances, particularly after Sri Lanka stuttered and collapsed horribly. That Afghanistan collapsed even more horribly chasing a modest target does not bode well for their chances, but the nature of Sri Lanka’s stuttering win suggests that they will not get away with victory too often and that the best sides have little to fear from them. Meanwhile, India will have watched how Australia beat Afghanistan without ever really overwhelming them and will think that this is not a vintage Australian side.

Five teams have played two matches before India play their first, but the top three in the table have played but a single game, so the embryonic World Cup table has little significance.

India go into the match today as massive favourites and will hope to leave South Africa facing a standing count. The second game of the day is Bangladesh v New Zealand at The Oval: a day-nighter. New Zealand looking to consolidate their flight under the radar and finish the day at the top of the early table.

The biggest game of the tournament so far though will be tomorrow, as Australia take on West Indies at the, normally high-scoring, Trent Bridge. That game may give a real pointer to the Semi-Finals and, potentially, which of these teams is a possible finalist: is this West Indies attack “the real deal” as their opening match against Pakistan suggested, or is it still the West Indies side that came within a hair of being eliminated by Scotland in the qualifying tournament?

After that, the India v Australia game at The Oval, on Sunday 9^th, will be another major pointer to the Final Four. England do not play again until Saturday, in Cardiff, where Bangladesh are their opponents. England will want to show that they have learnt their lessons and will need to win that one big. Bangladesh may just remember that their first win in England came against Australia, in Cardiff.