After
fighting it out over 42 games in the league stage, top eight teams are now up
in arms against each other in the all-important quarterfinals of the ICC World
Cup.
The
near-flawless performances by India and New Zealand have ensured their
quarterfinals berth while strong contenders including Australia, South Africa
and Sri Lanka have also managed to make the knockout stage after minor hiccups.
Pakistan
and West Indies are the other quarter-finalists who managed to make the
quarters cut by the skin of their teeth. But Bangladesh, ranked ninth in ODIs,
remains the biggest surprise in the list of quarter-finalists.
Here's a look at the performance of the eight quarter-finalists in the World Cup so far:
India:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: Bangladesh
The
defending champions appeared nowhere close to being ready for the coveted World
Cup especially after their horrid tour of Australia ahead of the tournament.
But the MS Dhoni brigade surprised the fans and their opponents alike. The team
that once appeared out of sorts on the quick wickets Down Under has recorded
six consecutive wins in as many games. India stormed past arch-rivals Pakistan
to kickstart their World Cup campaign with a win. The team bettered their
spirited performance against Pakistan with a pulsating 130-run win over the
sturdy South African brigade. Building on their winning momentum, Dhoni's men
got the better of UAE, West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe in their remaining
four games. India's bowling unit that has often been criticized for failing to
deliver over the past few years, has clearly made the difference. The Indian
bowlers have also managed to take 60 wickets in their six games in the
tournament so far. Their top finish in Pool B ensured India faced a weaker
opponent in Bangladesh in their quarterfinals clash.
Top
Batsman: Shikhar Dhawan has been India's most
consistent batsmen in the World Cup so far. The left-hander, currently placed
seventh in the list of leading run-scorers, has amassed 337 runs with two
hundreds and a fifty in six games.
Top
Bowler: Indian bowling spearhead Mohammed
Shami has been prolific with the ball for his team. The right-arm seamer is
currently placed second in the list of leading wicket-takers with his tally of
15 wickets in five matches.
New
Zealand:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: West Indies
The
Brendon McCullum-led team was touted to deliver at home, but no one would have
anticipated the Kiwis to dismantle the opposition with such ease in the
tournament. The team has won all of their six games and is yet to be beaten in
the World Cup. The Kiwis began their World Cup campaign with an emphatic 98-run
win over experienced Sri Lanka. They went past Scotland and then humiliated
England by eight-wickets in their third game. But, it was their thrilling
one-wicket win over the mighty Australians that established themselves as the
team to beat in the tournament. Later on, they hammered Afghanistan and
Bangladesh with ease in their final two Pool games. Despite struggling with the
bat on a few notable occasions, their consistent bowling unit has undoubtedly
made a difference for New Zealand. Trent Boult and Tim Southee have been
prolific in the pace attack while veteran Daniel Vettori has been at his usual
best in the spin department. The team finished at the top in Pool A and will
face West Indies in the quarterfinals.
Top
Bowler: Trent Boult has been an absolute
livewire with the ball for New Zealand. The left-arm bowler is currently placed
third in the list of leading wicket-takers with 15 wickets in six games in the
tournament so far.
Top
Batsman: Opening batsman Martin Guptill
leads the honours for New Zealand. The right-hander has scored 261 runs
including one hundred and a fifty in the tournament.
South
Africa:
Quarterfinal Opponent: Sri Lanka
Quarterfinal Opponent: Sri Lanka
The
Proteas, who've been relatively unlucky in the World Cup history, were expected
to get rid of the 'chokers' tag under the reigns of pragmatic AB de Villiers
this time around. But the team, who displayed strong performances ahead of the
tournament, cracked under pressure against India following their easy win over
Zimbabwe in the opening game. However, the Proteas came back strong to post a
mammoth 257-run win over West Indies in their third game. The team also crushed
the Irishmen by 201 runs in their fourth game but failed to edge-past the
spirited Pakistani brigade in their fifth match. South Africa defeated UAE in
their last game and finished second in Pool B. The team boasts a strong batting
line-up and arguably one of the most deadly bowling attacks in the world of
cricket. But, their never-ending dependency on AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn
has often led to their downfall in the tournament. The Proteas will have to be
at their prolific best if they intend to sneak past the experienced Sri Lankan
side in the quarterfinals.
Top
Batsman: The South African batting sensation
AB de Villiers has been the major driving force behind his team's success in
the tournament. The Proteas captain has amassed 417 runs in six games including
one hundred and two fifties. He is currently placed third in the list of
leading run-scorers in the tournament.
Top
Batsman: Morne Morkel has been leading from
the front in the bowling department. The lanky seamer has scalped 13 wickets in
his six games so far.
Australia:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: Pakistan
The
four-time World champions have been near-flawless in the tournament so far. The
Michael Clarke-led side began their campaign with a comfortable 111-run win
over England. They were a bit too unlucky to share the points with Bangladesh
after their second game was abandoned due to unrelenting rain. Their World Cup
campaign hit a major roadblock when they suffered a close one-wicket loss
against New Zealand. However, the team bounced back with a crucial 64-run win
over Sri Lanka. The men from Down Under finished the Pool stage with a clinical
seven-wicket win over Scotland. The team finished second in Pool A with nine
points. With the quarterfinal scheduled in Adelaide, the Michael Clarke brigade
will fancy their chances against Pakistan at home.
Top
Batsman: The batting department hasn't really
clicked for Australia so far, but destructive opening batsman David Warner has
turned out to be the leading run-scorer for his team in the tournament. The
left-hander has scored 264 runs including a hundred in five games.
Top
Bowler: Mitchell Starc is arguably the most
influential player for Australia in the tournament. The left-arm seamer has
taken 16 wickets in five games and is currently leading the list of top
wicket-takers in the tournament.
Pakistan:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: Australia
The
Pakistan cricket team embarked on their World Cup journey amid poor form and
serious injury woes. And their mediocre performance against arch-rivals India
in the opening game didn't really help their cause. The team continued to
struggle and lost their second game to West Indies by 150 runs. Their first win
of the tournament came against minnows Zimbabwe and the team managed to win all
of their remaining three games. The Misbah-ul-Haq brigade registered their
major win against South Africa in a rain-inflicted tie. Their seven-wicket win
against Ireland in the do-or-die clash ensured Pakistan qualified for the
knockout stage by the skin of their teeth. Pakistan will be counting on their
winning momentum when they lock horns with mighty Australians in the
quarterfinals tie.
Top
Batsman: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has
been the most consistent batsman for his team in the tournament so far. The
right-handed batsman has amassed 316 runs including four fifties in six games.
Top
Bowler: Wahab Riaz has turned out to be a
lethal weapon for Pakistan in the World Cup. The left-arm seamer has taken 14
wickets at an economy rate of 5.49 in six games.
Sri
Lanka:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: South Africa
The
Lankan brigade, marred with injury woes, has stormed into the World Cup
quarterfinals after an excellent run in the final few games of the league
stage. The subcontinent giants suffered an early hiccup after their 98-run loss
against New Zealand in their opening game. The team came back strong to win
their next three games against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and England. However,
their winning run came to an end against the gritty Australian side after their
64-run defeat. Angelo Mathews-led side finished off the league stage with a big
win against Scotland. With eight points in six games, Sri Lanka finished third
in Pool A and qualified for the knockout stage. The Lankans will be counting on
their consistent batting line-up to come good against South Africa in the
all-important quarterfinals.
Top
Batsman: Kumar Sangakkara has been in the
form of his life for Sri Lanka in the tournament. The left-hander has amassed
496 runs alongside the record of four consecutive hundreds in ODIs. The
37-year-old veteran is currently leading the list of top run-scorers in the
tournament.
Top
Bowler: As expected, deceiving seamer Lasith
Malinga has come out on top in the bowling department for the Lankans. The
right-arm bowler has taken 11 wickets - most by a Sri Lankan bowler in the
tournament so far.
West
Indies:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: New Zealand
The
two-time World Cup champions have struggled to get going in the World Cup this
time around. The team, in the absence of star players Dwayne Bravo and Kieron
Pollard, has looked mediocre in the league stage. The Jason Holder-led side was
shocked by Ireland in their opening game. But the team bounced back to post a
150-run win against Pakistan in their second match. Their losses against South
Africa and India made the quarterfinals' berth a distant dream for the
Caribbean giants. And the team had to rely on Pakistan's win over Ireland
alongside their triumph over UAE to make the knockout stage. Though New Zealand
appear clear favourites to win against West Indies, their unpredictable nature
on play will remain a major area of concern for the Kiwis.
Top
Batsman: Jamaican powerhouse Chris Gayle has
been the most consistent batsman for West Indies in the tournament so far. The
destructive left-handed batsman has scored 279 runs including the breathtaking
knock of 215 runs against Zimbabwe. He is also the leading run-scorer for West
Indies in the tournament.
Top
Bowler: Jerome Taylor has turned out to be a
major force for West Indies in the bowling department. The right-arm seamer has
scalped 14 wickets with an economy of 5.08 in the tournament so far. He is
currently ranked fifth in the list of leading wicket-takers in the World Cup
.
Bangladesh:
Quarterfinal
Opponent: India
Bangladesh,
a team ranked ninth in the ODIs, has been a major revelation in the World Cup.
The team faced an uphill battle against Australia in their opening game but the
rain helped the minnows in snatching a point away. Sri Lanka was too hot to
handle for Bangladesh in their second game but the Mashrafe Mortaza's men came
back strong against Scotland to regain the momentum. Their biggest win in the
tournament came against struggling England who were humbled by 15 runs. The win
boosted their chances of making the quarters and despite losing their last game
to New Zealand, the spirited Bangladeshi side finished fourth in Pool A to
enter the knockout stage. After a stellar performance in the league stage,
Bagladesh now find themselves up against the in-form Indian team in the
quarterfinals.
Top
Batsman: Mohammad Mahmudullah has been a
crucial find for Bangladesh and his performances in the league stage only makes
the case stronger. The right-hander, who recently became the first Bangladeshi
batsman to score a World Cup hundred, has amassed 344 runs including two
hundreds and a fifty in five matches. He is currently placed sixth in the list
of leading run-scorers in the tournament.
Top
Bowler: Shakib Al Hasan has been the
leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the World Cup so far. The 27-year-old
all-rounder has takes seven wickets at an economy of 5.03 in the tournament.
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