1st Test, Edgbaston. Australia reeling after having won the toss and electing to bat. 8 down for a measly 122, the visitors looked all but done. Talks about a 5-0 were already starting and the Hollies Stand were up and about, with the Barmy Army being as loud as they could possibly be.

Amidst all of this, there was a man from Australia going about his work with utmost ease. Making his comeback to test cricket after a year and a half, it didn’t look like it had any impact on his technique or frame of mind. Steve Smith, the Australian no.4 looked like he was batting on a different surface as compared to his teammates. He played the likes of Stuart Broad with barely any issues whatsoever. While everyone around him didn’t even get in, Smith seemed like he had half a second more to face every single delivery. With a technique like his, nobody would have imagined that he would average anywhere close to 50 in test cricket. He averages 62.

The man from Sydney continued his act in the second innings too, with 144 and 142 next to his name in the 2 innings respectively. It is an example of mindset surpassing technique. It is about finding a way to score runs, even if it means looking unorthodox and weirdly fidgety in the way that you play. Effectiveness > Looking good. Because at the end of the day, as long as you keep the scoreboard ticking, there will be no talks about HOW you got your runs. These two innings from Steve Smith were prime examples of grit, determination and perseverance paying off at the top level. He is well on his way to become one of the best Test cricketers Australia has ever produced.

-Vibhor Dubey

A team that hasn’t played any recognizable International teams in the past year or so, finally coming up against a team fresh from success, and showing what they’re capable of, all at the Home Of Cricket in the pinnacle of all formats, Test Cricket.

On a fresh Lord’s pitch, England captain Joe Root elected to bat. A toss which will probably go down as one of his most regrettable decisions as England skipper. The innings of the home side was over before it begun, with Ireland’s opening bowler Tim Murtagh ripping through the home side’s batting line up, sending Rory Burns and debutante Jason Roy back into the sheds in his first spell. Pacer Mark Adair was quick to hop on the same boat as he picked up 3 crucial wickets of Denly, Root, and Stone.

Murtagh came back for his second spell to clean up Bairstow, Ali and Woakes, picking up a 5 wicket haul in the process and getting his name up on the honor’s board at Lord’s. England were in absolute disarray, being bowled out for 85 in just 23.4 overs, when nobody had expected Ireland to show up and perform like they did. 20 wickets fell on just on Day 1, as England were quick to bowl Ireland out too, but not before they got 207, and a lead of 122 on the board.

The performance from Ireland has shown everyone just how lethal they can be, and have probably made headlines all across the globe about the dent they can put on any opposition, even if they’ve lifted a World Cup recently.

-Vibhor Dubey

Agony and Ecstasy, the two words that come to mind when thinking of the final moments of the 2019 World Cup. Absolutely incredible scenes. In all my years of following the sport, I have never seen such an incredible game, given the context and the hype of the situation.

The stage was set, hosts England were playing New Zealand in a World Cup Final at the home of cricket; Lord’s. It couldn’t get bigger than this for the home side. The jam packed crowd came in way before the game commenced, with some left stranded outside with no tickets. The intensity among the fans was a sign of things to come, but who would’ve thought that it’d turn out the way it did. The Blackcaps won the toss, elected to bat on conditions that looked suited to swing bowling, but the pressure of a final led skipper Kane Williamson to that decision. Opener Martin Guptill threw the kitchen sink at everything he was faced with and that made the Kiwi intentions very clear.

It didn’t last long enough though, but the men in black steadied the ship with the likes of Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham getting among the runs. New Zealand scratched their way to 241/8, and many thought it was enough, considering it was a World Cup final. England’s chase started off in wayward fashion, as the opening quicks Trent Boult and Matt Henry looked ominous. England soon found themselves in a spot of bother at 86-4 with their captain going back to the sheds. courtesy and phenomenal catch courtesy Lockie Ferguson at deep point.

Then came the partnership of the game, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes gave England exactly what they were looking for, with a stand of 110 with both batsmen getting to half centuries. After Buttler departed, it looked like it was NZ’s game. But Stokes spoiled the party. His resilient innings of 84* gave England the hope that they needed. The match went right down to the wire, with 2 needed off 1, and Mark Wood being run out on his second run. The game was tied, and the emotion was there to be seen. It meant that there was a super over over that’d have to take place.

England batted first, getting 15 off their 6. Jofra Archer then came on to defend 16 off probably the most important 6 deliveries of his newly-blossomed career. 2 off 1 again, this time Archer held his nerve and Martin Guptill was unable to come back for the second run. This meant the World Cup was England’s. The juxtaposition in the ground was for people to see. Defeat and Agony in the eyes of every New Zealand player, and ecstasy and elation in England’s. Nobody could have predicted a game as close as this. This will be a game talked about for decades to come.

-Vibhor Dubey

• 

We associate this modern English side to firepower and dominance, unlike the English teams in the past. They’ve changed their entire mindset since the 2015 world cup. They’re a force to reckon with. The England that we know came to the party in the second semi final between England and Australia.

Coming into the game, many knew it was going to be one to remember, but no one had expected it to be this one-sided. Australia have somehow found a way to do well in World Cups, and they were on course to winning this one as well. But the modern England side delivered when it mattered most. Everything fell into place for the hosts, as they rattled the Aussie batting line up for 223/10, with Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid picking up 3 a piece. The visitors didn’t look in control throughout the innings. Smith and Carey strung together a partnership of sorts, but neither of them could stay long enough to put up a competitive score on the board.

With a meagre 224 to get in 50 overs, it would’ve been understandable if the England openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow took a careful approach. But they chose not to. They took the Aussie bowling attack to the cleaners. The opening duo got off to blistering starts as the man from Surrey, Jason Roy got to 85 in no time before copping a terrible decision from umpire Kumar Dharmasena. Their first wicket fell at 124, with the match all but gone from Australia’s grasp. It didn’t look like England were playing a home semi final. They chased the total down with 17.5 overs to spare. A comprehensive semi final victory to say the least.

If the same England team (in their approach) come out all-guns-blazing at Lord’s on 14th, we are guaranteed to see them lift their first ever World Cup trophy. It’ll be a riveting contest at the Home Of Cricket, and as watchers we are sure to get a game that’s worth our time.

-Vibhor Dubey

India has absolutely set this world cup ablaze, as they have in quite a few World Cups before this one. With 7 wins out of their 9 games, it is evident that they just click at crunch situations with bat, ball and in the field. But as India win the majority of their games, the question remains; why and how is India good at this sport?

Most people will say it’s a population thing. “1.3 Billion, they’re bound to produce good cricketers, Right?” Wrong. If that was the case, China would be ranked number 1 in all formats of the game. The real reason why India is so good at Cricket is because of the grooming that the young cricketers get in the country. This is the key for every single international side to be successful.

By the time the youngsters get to don the blue, they have already been through plenty of grueling domestic seasons that exposes them to quality cricket. With IPL being open to so many young cricketers, it gives them the exposure they need to play with & against some of the world’s best in front of packed crowds. This; is a massive reason why when an Indian youngster comes into the Indian dressing room, he is more than ready.

Another reason for their consistent performance is the shift in approach towards fitness and mindset. From the time Virat Kohli has become skipper of all 3 formats, he has drilled this concept in everyone’s mind that they can’t be a part of the side if they are not fit enough. They have listened to that command exceptionally. With Virat leading by example, he has proved to everyone the unbelievable stuff that can be achieved with the right amount of fitness and a positive frame of mind.

The Indian side has responded beautifully, they understand the demands of a sport with 3 formats and a hectic schedule. They play to win, regardless of the fact whether they’re playing against Zimbabwe or Australia. The intensity is there, the passion is for everyone to see, and the results are coming. It is a great time to be an Indian fan, and we can only hope that the next lot of cricketers will bring the same level of energy and enthusiasm towards the game.

-Vibhor Dubey

• 

The only way Pakistan could qualify after England’s victory was to win the game with a margin of 300+. This herculean task would have taken a miracle to say the least. As Pakistan faced Bangladesh in their last match of the tournament, everyone almost knew Pakistan were all but out of the World Cup.

Many pundits believed that Pakistan would play the game into the hands of Bangladesh because of the insurmountable work to be done. But the way they approached their batting was nothing short of class. As a professional side, they recognized they weren’t going to get to a total over 350. They assessed the conditions beautifully and adjusted according to it. Imam-Ul-Haq between the innings talked about how the plan was to analyse the conditions and be practical. They didn’t try to fire their way to a total just to lose plenty of wickets in the process.

In the end, that proved beneficial for Pakistan because they understood how the deck was playing, and set a total of 315/9 after 50. Imam- Ul-Haq and Babar Azam putting up stand-out performances in the first innings with 100 & 96 to their names respectively. It was a challenging task for Bangladesh because the wicket was slowing up a touch and that meant that the Pakistan spinners were always in the game.

But to everyone’s surprise, it was a 19 year old PACER Shaheen Shah Afridi who demolished the Bangladesh batting order. He took some prized wickets up front with the new ball, and put dents in the middle order of the team batting second. His conventional out-swingers, mixed with smart changes in pace made life difficult for the Bangladesh openers. Even though Pakistan have been knocked out of the WC, they looked mighty impressive in their last few games to pull things back. Let’s all hope as Cricket fans that they’ve found their core of players who will go on to make Pakistan cricket steady and successful.

-Vibhor Dubey

Considered by many as one of the best ODI players to have played for India, Rohit Sharma has had an impeccable World Cup. With 4 100’s already to his name, he has hogged all the limelight. The Indian opener has scored 544 runs and is leading the charts. The best part about his 4 100’s was that none of them have been out-and-out Rohit Sharma innings. He has had to grind it out, get through challenging spells and still come out on top. That is a hallmark of a great batsman.

The consistent opener from Mumbai has probably been the biggest reason why India has made it through to the semis. His innings lays the platform for everyone next to him to play their free-flowing game. In my opinion, if he was given a chance to play up the order in the longest format of the game, he would be one of the best batsmen India has ever produced. But his technique doesn’t suit red ball cricket. The technique that brings him unfathomable amount of runs has also led to his downfall in 5 day cricket. But kudos to him, he has stuck with how he plays and backs those lazy looking drives through the off side and strong pulls through the on.

Being a 32 year old, he has at least 5-6 years of international cricket left in him, and with the rate with which he scores runs, he will be among the top 5 run getters for India in ODI cricket. 3 double hundreds are no joke at the top level, but to see the ease with which he has achieved that feat has been incredible. As an Indian supporter I wish he keeps scoring runs, hope his consistent performances take India over the line and help bring the cup home.

-Vibhor Dubey

• 

A do-or-die game for both teams, New Zealand vs England was promised to be a great encounter. To have a ‘Q’ next to their names, both sides needed a win. 2 points. That’s what the teams were fighting for.

England looked ruthless after winning the toss and batting first. Jason Roy again got a start but failed to convert. But Jonny Bairstow, just like the previous game against India, looked unstoppable. Smashing 15 fours and a solitary six in his innings of 106, the Yorkshire keeper looked in sublime form. It took 123 runs before New Zealand could get their first breakthrough.

Courtesy a stable innings from the skipper Eoin Morgan, England ended up with 305/8 after their 50 overs. It looked like NZ had done well to restrict the home side to under 320, but what happened next was not something anyone was expecting. The visiting side had won 4 out of their 5 won games chasing. That is a sign that they’re a pretty good chasing side. The only problem being, nobody apart from Kane Williamson has stood out. To say that they’re reliant on their skipper’s performance would be an understatement.

The NZ innings never took off. In fact, it just looked like they were sliding down a quick sand. Tom Latham along with Ross Taylor tried to string together a partnership, but their efforts just wasn’t enough. New Zealand crumbled to 186, losing by a massive margin of 119 runs.

-Vibhor Dubey

The most highly anticipated game of the tournament took place 2 days ago in Edgbaston where the two favorites locked horns, both having their own points to prove. England were in a spot of bother as they had lost 2 of their previous encounters. The players looked dejected in the change rooms and Eoin Morgan’s change of tone at the press conference was for everyone to see.

India, on the other hand looked in great nick, having been unbeaten in the tournament. England batted first on what looked like a belter of a track. Jason Roy finding his spot back in the side looked mighty impressive in his innings of 66 off 57. But his performance was overshadowed by his opening partner Jonny Bairstow. Bairstow’s 111 was a reply to all the stuff that was written and said about him leading up to the game. He looked in ferocious touch as he bludgeoned the Indian attack for 10 fours and 6 sixes. India were pulling things back towards the end (overs 30-40), but Ben Stokes’ 4th consecutive half century made it a solid first innings for England.

338 was going to be a stiff target. Virat would feel it was 15-20 runs too many. With the pitch slowing down a touch, boundaries were hard to come-by. India lost Rahul early, and their innings never really got momentum. Virat and Rohit tried to take the game deep, with the latter getting to his 3rd 100 of the world cup. Both got out in crunch situations, which later cost them the game. Hardik Pandya tried to play catch-up with the required run rate, only to fall to Liam Plunkett in the deep. The response from Dhoni and Kedar towards the end was extremely surprising. Their batting sent shock waves in the commentary box, as there was no intent shown by either of the two. England cruised to a comfortable 31 run victory, and kept themselves alive for the semis.

-Vibhor Dubey

The night of 22nd of June saw one of the best innings ever produced in a World Cup game. The West Indies vs New Zealand game was an extremely close contested one. Posting 291/8 on the board, the Kiwi side looked solid in the first half. Recovering from an early setback, they were able to pull things back courtesy a Kane Williamson huge 148, Ross Taylor’s 69 and some cameos towards the end.

The Windies started their chase in an iffy manner, with Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran being dismissed rather cheaply. Chris Gayle looked at his ominous best, getting 87 off 84 balls, with 8 fours and 6 sixes, falling short of what could’ve been a well deserved 100. It still wasn’t easy going for the men in maroon, as NZ came back in the game with wickets at regular intervals. Then came in Carlos Brathwaite at number 6, with his side needing another 150 odd runs to seal the deal, and half a dozen wickets in hand.

Most people would’ve written them off, saying that its bound to be a big win for the Kiwis. But then came that blitz of an innings from the Windies no.6. Hitting to all parts of the ground, as clean as they come. Striking at 123.17, his innings of a 101 included 9 fours and 5 sixes. The game kept everyone on the edge of their seats as the chasing side only had 1 wicket in hand. 6 off 7 needed, Carlos skied a pull shot to deep mid on, and for a moment everyone thought that was a victory for the Windies, but they fell agonizingly short, Trent Boult at his athletic best at long on. And the despair was there to be seen in Carlos Brathwaite’s eyes. He almost had it. Nonetheless, it will be an innings talked about for the years to come.

-Vibhor Dubey