World Cup: Decoding path to semis for all the teams
The ICC World Cup 2019 has reached its midway and here on, the battle to seal a berth in the knock-outs will get intense. Without any doubt, the four teams Australia, New Zealand, India and England look favorites but at this point, we can't rule out the others. Here we decode the path to semis for all the ten teams.
Top four teams set to qualify for the semi-finals
Hosts England will move atop the table tonight if they beat an out-of-form Afghanistan. The Three Lions have six points with a healthy NRR of +1.557. India and New Zealand are yet to lose a match so far and after four games they have seven points each. NRR of Kiwis (+2.163) is the best. Australia with eight points from five matches have been dominant.
Some mega clashes await the top four sides
Out of the remaining five games for India, the only major threat is against England. The Virat Kohli-led side has a realistic chance of finishing in the top two. For Australia, they have mega battles against Kiwis and England and things could become real tight. England have Australia, India and New Zealand clashes awaiting them. Meanwhile, NZ have key clashes against Australia and England.
Where do Bangladesh stand in the scheme of things?
Bangladesh have an outside chance. The Tigers beat South Africa and West Indies, besides giving NZ a close fight. They have upcoming matches against Australia, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bangladesh need to win at least three of these matches to stay in the hunt. They even have to better their NRR, which at the moment is -0.270.
What about the mid-table teams?
Afghans, who are yet to register a victory, could end at the bottom. Their campaign looks over. The likes of Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka have four matches left. Interestingly, all four teams have at least one big game against the top four, making things difficult. To have a definitive chance, they need to win all their games as well.
Washed out matches and their impact
We saw four matches get washed out and teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies were robbed of chances. Lanka saw clashes against Bangladesh and Pakistan get abandoned, which could have a daunting effect. The washed-out match between India and New Zealand didn't have much of an impact. On the contrary, it was a good point earned by both.
Scenarios to keep in mind and what we feel
If more matches get washed out, then things could get interesting for the top five teams. The mid-table teams cannot afford abandoned games, besides they need to keep two factors in mind, 1) NRR and 2) winning all the matches. Therefore, their chances look bleak. We feel that only the top five teams are in the hunt for the semis.
