Image Credit- ICC
India has destroyed everything in their path during
this World Cup, much like an avalanche rumbling down a mountain. Nearly as if
it were predicted. It having been thus appointed, therefore it is. They have a
strong batting lineup, their star fast bowler returned from injury at the
perfect time, the attack is battle-tested, and their fielding and support have
been fierce. Two weeks in, it already feels like “India’s tournament”
in a variety of profound and occasionally uneasy ways.
Whereas some teams’ lineups have seen players come and
go like they were on a carousel, India have, up until their most recent game,
generally been injury-free. This team is the greatest of the best, but Rishabh
Pant’s absence makes it less so.
New Zealand, the second unbeaten team, hasn’t had this
sense of impending doom, but they’ve been just as ruthless in their thrashing.
Actually, they have won with even greater resoundingness, their net run rate
being through the roof. New Zealand had not undergone the same fine-tuning that
India had before the World Cup, but after four games, there don’t appear to be
any obvious weak spots for them, and there are no questions as to whether any
of the starting positions in their squad are genuinely deserving.
These countries have succeeded in part by posing
threats with the depth of their lineups in a way that other teams, like
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who rely so heavily on key players, claim they have
not. While KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer, in that order, are the
batsmen who average 85.12, 68.36, and 40.11 this year, Virat Kohli and Rohit
Sharma will always be coveted wickets.
Although it doesn’t quite have that history, New
Zealand has been equally multifaceted thus far. If Rachin Ravindra isn’t smashing
a first-innings century against England, Daryl Mitchell is hitting boundaries
against Bangladesh, or Glenn Phillips and Tom Latham are teaming together
against Afghanistan.
India’s frontliners in bowling may be the most diverse
and expertly assembled group in the competition. With the new ball, Mohammad
Siraj grabs wickets; Ravindra Jadeja bowls precise fingerspin; Kuldeep Yadav
bowls dangerous wristspin; and Jasprit Bumrah controls the final few overs. If
it is true that batters win games but bowlers win competitions, part of this
can be attributed to their ability to generate bowling that is adaptable to
different situations and presses different buttons on the opposition.
New Zealand depends heavily on its starting quicks.
However, Matt Henry, who is nearly as skilled with the new ball as Trent Boult,
usually succeeds if Trent Boult does not take early wickets. Mitchell Santner
has flourished, as his 11 wickets are currently tied for the most in the
tournament. Prior to the World Cup, Lockie Ferguson had an average of 60 in
2023, but he now has six wickets at 16.66 and an economy rate of 4.00,
demonstrating his superior performance in the middle overs. When New Zealand
needed to turn the ball away from left-handed hitters, even Phillips was called
upon for his offbreaks.
Dharamsala will present new difficulties. The pitch
was covered in grass on the night before the game, and even though it will
probably be shaved on game day, it is anticipated that the surface will offer
significant pace and carry. In any case, this is one of India’s locations that
welcomes seams.
Perhaps in earlier decades, such circumstances might
have been expected to suit New Zealand, but given the depth of India’s
cricketing infrastructure now, they have flexibility built into their system,
so this won’t deter them. Most teams would be concerned if they lost an
all-rounder of the calibre of Hardik Pandya, but India already has two
allrounders in their starting lineup and a wide range of excellent specialists
to choose from.
However, New Zealand has included sticking and
twisting into their tournament style as well. Since 2015, they have
participated in three limited-overs World Cup finals. In contrast to India’s
reputation as a team of match-winners, New Zealand has made match-winners out
of its current roster of players.