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The second week of the world cup saw a 'super weekend', in which several key clashes took place. While UAE's demolition at the hands of team India and the Proteas thrashing the Windies were results that were expected, we also had the clash of the hosts, New Zealand and Australia, which turned out to be one of the greatest world cup matches of all time.
The second super weekend will also see some important matches, including India taking on West Indies at the WACA in Perth. While West Indies do not pose a serious threat to an Indian team that is brimming with confidence, the men in blue cannot afford to take this fixture lightly, as a comprehensive victory will help them keep the momentum, whereas a narrow one would dent their confidence somewhat, and as we all know, India have always been extremely susceptible to the slightest changes in the wind.
Like most games in this world cup so far, this one will depend a lot on the toss. If India bowl first, they're quite likely to win by a big margin, but batting first at the WACA could be tricky against the pace of the West Indian attack. However, India can count on their bowling, which has been excellent in their last two matches. Ashwin and Shami are peaking at the right time, and they have been supported very well by the rest of the attack.
Chris Gayle became the first non-Indian double centurion, and also the first in world cup history in the match against Zimbabwe, but as expected, failed to make an impact against South Africa. While the odds of a Gaylestorm hitting a bowler friendly ground like the WACA, especially when he's likely to be up against against two bowlers (Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar) who have his number even in batsman friendly conditions of the subcontinent is unlikely, India need to give him his due attention.
The bite of the West Indian batting line up actually comes pretty late, as Darren Sammy and Andre Russell, who bat at 7 and 8 respectively, are probably their most consistent and dangerous batsmen. India need to ensure that they do not leak too many runs to these two, as conceding runs to the lower order has been one of the biggest worries for India in the past. While batting, Kohli and Rahane will be the key men, as they're the most adept at playing fast bowlers in the Indian team.
If India want a comprehensive victory, they need to attack with the ball and look for wickets, as 50 overs can be a long time to survive at the WACA for a team like West Indies. With the bat, India need to be patient against the new ball and capitalise later in the innings. If they bowl first, they should look to restrict West Indies to less than 200, and if they bat first, they should stick with the formula of trying to get a score of around 300.
Second week round-up -
Things are certainly heating up Down Under, as the world cup is getting to the business end. There are three major talking points of the second week. First, the Proteas have seen a glorious revival after their initial stutter against Zimbabwe and a humiliating loss against India. They've scored in excess of 400 in two consecutive matches, once courtesy a blitzkrieg by AB de Villiers, and then a career best knock by Hashim Amla. Their bowlers have been excellent as well. However, there still remains a question mark over their ability to chase.
Second, New Zealand managed to beat co-hosts Australia by the skin of their teeth, despite a breathtaking bowling performance by Mitchell Starc, who looks like he has replaced Johnson as the spearhead of the attack. The Kiwis are now certain to finish at the top of Pool A, which would all but guarantee a spot in the semi-finals. Australia on the other hand, were very unlucky to be deprived of a point when their match against Bangladesh was washed out, highlighting once again, the pig-headedness of the ICC.
Sri Lanka have also seen a revival after their narrow win against Afghanistan, as they beat both Bangladesh and England very comprehensively to emerge as serious contenders in the tournament. With their best players peaking at the right time, they could finish second in Pool A if they beat Australia this Sunday, which would almost ensure a semi-final spot for them. It would put Australia in a spot of bother though, because finishing third in the group would mean that the Aussies would face South Africa in the quarter-finals, and then the Kiwis in New Zealand in the semis should they make it.
Keep watching the world cup and keep reading The Cup Chronicles!
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