Recap of Week 2 of the 2019 Cricket World Cup

4 centuries, 2 5-fers, and 4 wash-outs in 8 games during week 2 of the World Cup. Following are some snippets from the week gone by.

Rain, Rain, go away!

As I sit down to write this article, it dawns on me that only 4 out of 8 scheduled games were completed during week 2 of the World Cup! To lose 4 games to rain during a single week has been both unfortunate as well as extremely frustrating for the teams and for the millions of fans that have been eagerly watching every ball of this competition. A World Cup comes only once every 4 years, so to already lose 4 games to weather has got everyone talking.

But what can really be done about this? Are there any solutions at all?Reserve days, covered stadiums? Although they sound simple, having to implement these sound really challenging, actually almost impossible. A much simpler solution is to actually cover the entire ground than just the playing area! This article from Andrew Fernando describes it best! It is something I am sure everyone has thought about, but why the ICC has not implemented it as yet is anyone’s guess. Sure, every solution comes with its own set of challenges, but out of all available solutions on the table at this time, this looks to be the most feasible.

A Big shout-out to the ICC to start looking at this more seriously – #nomorewashouts#

The scoreboard doesn’t always tell the entire story!

Australia dominated week 2 of the World Cup. Out of the 4 completed games, they were involved in 2 of them. They won one and lost one.

The Aussies started off too slow in their chase against India. Too many dot balls and too few big-enough partnerships did not help their cause, in a 350 plus chase. And although they eventually got 316, courtesy Carey’s cameo, they never looked like they were going to win the game.

They followed this up by beating Pakistan by 41 runs. But this was one of the better games of the tournament, and the chase was pretty tense. Pakistan had their moments through the game but did not capitalise enough to come out victorious. At one point, Pakistan needed 40 odd runs in 5 overs with 3 wickets in hand, and two in-form batsmen at the crease. So, although the margin of victory was bigger against Pakistan, the numbers alone do not convey what happened!

So that’s two tough games off the charts for the Aussies. Their next two matches will be against Srilanka and Bangladesh, and Australia would be targeting full points from these games. Well, if the rain stays away that is!

India – still the team to beat!

India proved once again why they have the best top order amongst all teams in the competition. After Rohit Sharma, it was now Shikhar Dhawan’s turn to stand up. A magnificent century from the southpaw ensured that India put up the second highest total at the World Cup.

India also proved why they have one of the best bowling attacks as well. The spinners are in great form, and the opening bowling combo of Bhuvi and Bumrah continues to pick up crucial early wickets. With the game against the Kiwis washed out, India sit pretty with 5 points from 3 games. Next up for them is the mouth-watering clash against their biggest rivals Pakistan. It will be the first game in Manchester in this World cup, so it’s anyone’s guess how the wicket will turn out to be. India has never lost a World Cup game to their biggest rivals. Will that record stay the same?

#AmirvKohli

Invaluable point for Southafrica?

Yes, teams can end up scoring 300+ after being 29/2 in 8 overs. But when you are winless after 3 games, and are facing Westindies, who are playing some wonderful cricket, in an almost knock-out game, it is definitely a precarious situation to be in. I have mentioned the Proteas in most of my World Cup blogs and I have more about them coming up, because it is just mind-boggling how a talented and a super-utility side such as theirs can falter at every possible opportunity! With just 1 point after 4 games, they are barely in this World Cup, and with games against NewZealand, Pakistan and Australia still to come, it will take a miracle for them to make it to the semifinals. But, they are finally off the mark though and Du Plessis will definitely be thankful for the point they got from their abandoned game against the Windies.

Stand out performances

56 off 84 balls with 50 dot balls – It wouldn’t be harsh to say that David Warner struggled to get going against India. May be he had a plan in his head and wanted to see out Bumrah and Bhuvi and then go after the spinners. But whatever it was, it didn’t work. Having said that, it takes some strength and resolve to come back from that and score a magnificent match-winning century against a strong Pakistan bowling attack in a very important game. His 107 against Pakistan is surely a sign that he is just getting started at the World Cup. I had previously written that this World Cup was an opportunity for him to prove to himself and the world that he still has it in him to make an impact. And he is doing exactly that. He is making things happen with the bat and is only going to get better.

When was the last time a bowler conceded just 30 runs off his 10 overs in an ODI innings? And along with that, pick up a 5-fer as well? Mohammad Amir delivered possibly one of the best spells of fast bowing against Australia. It is a pity that his bowling colleagues did not offer him the support that was so needed in such an important game. To end up on the losing side after such a magnificent performance will definitely hurt.

Picked in the squad at the last minute, Amir is again proving to be an asset for Pakistan. His confidence is back, and so is his wicket-taking form. He is bowling beautiful line and lengths and teams are playing him cautiously, and taking the attack to the other bowlers. His incoming delivery to the right-hander is as lethal as ever, and that makes him so dangerous against the right-handers. Next up for him will be Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and possibly KL Rahul. Boy, what a contest that is going to be.