World Cup 2019: 5 Teams India should be wary of in the tournament

The World Cup is just around the corner and teams have already announced their intimidating squads. Few teams have started their training for the tournament even as many players have already left the Indian Premier League (IPL) to prepare well, physically and mentally for the biggest extravaganza in cricket. Hyderabad’s David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, Rajasthan’s Steve Smith and Jos Buttler, Bangalore’s Moeen Ali and Marcus Stoinis and Mumbai’s Jason Behrendorff are a few of those.

India has announced a well-balanced squad for the World Cup, even though some names have surprisingly been left out, like Ambati Rayudu and Rishabh Pant. They have some good backups for almost all the positions. They mainly rely on their batting which consists of some of the greatest players in world cricket currently, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni.

Their bowling will be led by Jasprit Bumrah alongside Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and their spin-duos Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. For India, the mantra has always been ‘spin to win’ and this duo complements each other brilliantly. The all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav, who will mostly be fit for the World Cup, will also be chipping in with some overs.

The World Cup will be played in a different format compared to the earlier editions which is why every team will be an equal threat.

Here we bring you the five teams which Team India should be wary of in the World Cup:

1. Australia

This is one of the best teams in the World Cup. They have exceptional fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Jason Behrendorff. Both David Warner and Steve Smith have also come back into the Australian team after their ban. They both looked in good touch at this year’s IPL.

Australia is likely to play one spinner as Adam Zampa and four pacers. Maxwell can also bowl spin and cover up a few overs if needed. Recently, Jhye Richardson got injured and was ruled out only to be replaced by Kane Richardson. Australia will be having a lid over India having beaten them at home recently after being 0-2 down in the five-match series. Virat Kohli’s men should be aware of their shortcomings and look to not repeat those mistakes again.

2. New Zealand

The Black Caps is another strong candidate for the World Cup 2019. They will know the conditions in England very well, as it is quite similar to New Zealand. They are a well-gelled unit led by Kane Williamson who loves to keep things simple. They are currently playing a warm-up series against Australia and are doing decently well.

India will face the Kiwis on June 13 at Trent Bridge which is quite a small ground. The Indian bowlers should look to restrict New Zealand’s power hitters as the venue has witnessed some of the highest scores before. The likes of Martin Guptill and Williamson are certainly a threat to any team and the Men in Blue shouldn’t take them lightly at any stage.

3. Pakistan

Pakistan is a team that is rising up the ladder day by day. They are currently World number one in the T20Is and sixth in the ODIs. The team has a lot of potential and some young players like Shaheen Afridi will take them the extra mile. With the tensions rising between the two countries, the world will have its eyes set on this game.

India won the last two encounters when the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup last year. But what makes Pakistan dangerous is their unpredictability. Moreover, the fact that they defeated India in the final of Champions Trophy in 2017 which was also played in England will give them a lot of confidence coming into this game. India should be careful of them and make sure that none of their batsmen get going.

4. Bangladesh

They have always been a team which is seen as not strong enough to go into the knockouts. They were always given a long-shot, but somehow they surprise everyone and play like the bigger teams. They are ranked at the seventh spot on the ODI rankings.

We have seen Bangladesh reach finals in many tournaments like the Asia Cup, Nidahas Trophy and also have seen them beating some heavy line-ups. Last year, India luckily edged past them to win the Nidahas Trophy in the last-ball thriller. So Bangladesh might come from behind and haunt a couple of teams, especially India. Three key players for Bangladesh will be Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan.

5. Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a team that has worked very hard to reach this stage. This is their second World Cup appearance. Last time, they played six matches and registered their maiden win over Scotland at the event. This time they would be hoping to make a bigger impact and showcase their talents to the world. Even if they cannot qualify, beating some big teams and ending the tournament will still be a big thing for them.

Beating India would also be in their wishlist as they had held the Men in Blue to tie last year in the Asia Cup. Though many key players didn’t play that game, Afghanistan has time and again proved that they have quality and surely, Virat Kohli’s men won’t take them lightly.

~Written by Jerin Varghese M