If we look at India’s performance, they have been absolutely dominant in this tournament. They have won three matches easily and there seems to be balance in both batting and bowling departments. Players like Virat, Rohit and Shami are in form and can become game changers in any big match.
New Zealand is also performing consistently well and is always strong in ICC tournaments. Australia struggled a bit but their experience may come in handy in the semi-finals. South Africa has also played great cricket and their being on top shows that they are also a serious contender.
Pakistan not winning even a single match is definitely a shock, especially when they are the host too. Now we have to see who wins in the semi-finals. According to you, the final should be between which two teams?
The Dubai pitch is slow, in which the role of spinners becomes very important. India has quality spinners like Kuldeep, Jadeja who can put Australia under pressure in the middle overs. Plus, Shami and Harshit can also be quite effective in the death overs. India can respond with 4 spinners as they did against NZ. If this happens then they can again prove to be a big game changer.
Taking the wicket of Travis Head early will be crucial as he has been quite a troublemaker for India. The good thing is that this time Australia does not have their top three pacers (Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood), which weakens their bowling a bit. If the Indian openers get a good start in the powerplay, then the middle order can easily control the match. Australia has only one spinner Zampa whom you can call a regular spinner, the rest are part-timers.
Yes, Australia cannot be underestimated in knock-out matches, their record in pressure games is quite good. But if the Indian team plays with its form and balance, then the journey till the final does not seem difficult.
Talking about the 2nd semi-final, the Lahore pitch has traditionally been batting-friendly and can create a challenge for the bowlers in the late second innings. Therefore, the toss can be quite crucial-whoever wins the toss will prefer to chase.
South Africa and New Zealand are both in full form, so a high-scoring thriller can be witnessed. South Africa’s top-order batsmen like Rikelton, Markram and van der Dussen are in form while New Zealand’s Williamson, Ravindra and Phillips are also performing consistently. In the bowling department, the pace attack of Rabada-Yansen and the experience of New Zealand’s Henry can give Santner and Bracewell a tough competition in terms of spin.
If the god factor impacts more, then the spinners may face difficulty in getting grip, which will be a bit challenging for South Africa’s Maharaj and New Zealand’s Santner.
