Watching teams strut into the knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup isn’t a rare sight; all but five editions of the tournament - discounting the 2023 edition - have seen at least one team enter the business end with an unblemished record. Group stage invincibility, however, rarely translates into near-total dominance. Both India and New Zealand can account for that, with the pair failing to go all the way after a perfect group stage in 2015. (As It Happened | Scores | Photos)
Evidence of the opposite is buried beneath several layers of history. In 1996, a brilliant Sri Lanka side proved to the world what dominance in the modern era looked like. The Lankan Lions won eight games in a row - albeit two through walkover - to lift the cup, a feat Australia surpassed seven years later. India stand a chance to do the same in 2023 - should the Men in Blue cross the finish line sans a scratch, they would have joined an elite group in the Cricket World Cup.
Dominant is the word that best describes India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 league stage. Powered by the raucous home crowd in each of their matches, the Men in Blue have swatted away whatever challenge has dared to present itself in front of them to cruise into the semis. Explosive with the bat, suffocating opponents with the ball - India, as a unit, have shown authority akin to the early West Indies and England teams.
India’s run to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-finals began with a comfortable win over Australia - a glimpse into what was to come. The hosts restricted the record World Cup winners to a meagre 199, courtesy of their masterful spin unit, before chasing the target in 42 overs. Talisman Virat Kohli shone with the bat, proving himself to be back to his best, with KL Rahul playing the supporting role with aplomb.
Against Afghanistan, captain Rohit Sharma led the batting unit with his exceptional play from the crease, enabling India to wrap up a 273-run chase in just 35 overs. The game against rivals Pakistan was over even quicker; restricting their opponents to just 199, the Men in Blue raced to their third win in a row in just 30 overs through a superb team performance. Bangladesh presented more of a challenge but they, too, were no match for Kohli and Co, the former captain leading by example with an outstanding ton.
Having established a significant lead, India took on New Zealand in their fifth match in what was to be their trickiest encounter of the league stage. Finalists in 2015 and 2019, the Blackcaps nearly lasted all 50 overs, but for the brilliance of five-wicket-taking Mohammed Shami, who, along with his peers, confined them to 273. New Zealand, then, chased India down until the final 12 balls of the game before succumbing to a four-wicket defeat. Kohli proved to be the matchwinner for the hosts, racking up another 95 on the scoreboard.
Reigning champions England followed next and looked to have discovered the formula to limit India’s prowess. The Three Lions capped the Men in Blue at 229 for nine but were bowled out for 129, presenting the leaders with a 100-run win. The following game witnessed the hosts win by an even bigger margin; having put up 357 runs on the board, the hosts restricted Sri Lanka to 55, recording one of the biggest victories in the tournament’s history.
Billed as a clash between two heavyweights, India faced second-placed South Africa in their penultimate league stage match. Hitting a century on his birthday, Kohli led the Indian batting order to a 326-run total, before the bowling unit ended the South African chase at 83. Already confirmed semi-finalists, the win ensured India would finish the league stage on top.
The final group stage match saw India battle the Netherlands. Far removed from their prowess on a football field, the Dutch are still a rising force in cricket. As much was proven in Bengaluru, as the hosts racked up a total of 410 before bowling their opponents out for 250 - such was the control India had exerted in the match that even Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma picked up wickets!
Consequently, India take a nine-game-winning streak with them into the semi-final, where the prospect of the Men in Blue getting revenge against New Zealand will serve as a tantalising precursor to hopefully an exciting encounter.
India will play New Zealand on November 15, 2023, at the Wankhede in Mumbai.
