Cricket World Cup: Team-by-team guide of the semi-finalists
After five weeks and 43 matches, the four World Cup semi-finalists have been confirmed. Here, we assess the remaining contenders for the trophy.
Knockout Stage fixtures
- July 9 - India v New Zealand, Old Trafford, 1030 BST
- July 11 - Australia v England, Edgbaston, 1030 BST
- July 14 - Final, Lord's, 1030 BST
India
Form: Six wins and one washout from their first seven games meant India briefly reclaimed top place in the ICC standings before defeat against England. Most of their victories have been comfortable, but they were pushed all the way by underdogs Afghanistan.
Strength: Less of a collective than their rivals, India thrive when their stars shine. Rohit Sharma is in irrepressible form with five centuries in the tournament, Virat Kohli has yet to peak but will always carry the fear factor and paceman Jasprit Bumrah is a peerless specialist at the death.
Weakness: Reliance on a handful of matchwinners means there is the potential for others to slip under the radar. Injuries to Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar have left them light on top order options and spinners Yuzvrendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have under-performed.
Key man: Rohit Sharma (647 runs at 92.42)
World ranking: 2
Group Position: 1st
Australia
Form: A year out, the reigning champions' one-day cricket was a mess, but they have timed their run to perfection. They have won 15 of their last 16 games, a sequence only interrupted by defeat to India at The Oval.
Strength: Winning mentality. Five trophies in the cabinet confirms the belief that nobody does World Cups quite like them. The spine of their side took part in their last success four years ago and with the likes of Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin in their backroom team, they do not lack for sound advice.
Weakness: While thoroughly effective on tricky pitches, there is a suspicion Australia might come off second best in a run-fest. Barring Glenn Maxwell, their batsmen can lack the extra gear.
Key man: Mitchell Starc (26 wickets at 16.61)
World ranking: 3
Group Position: 2nd
England
Form: Endured a mini identity crisis when losing back-to-back games against Sri Lanka and Australia. A frank team meeting appears to have put them back on track and they head into the knockouts after two stirring victories against fellow semi-finalists India and New Zealand.
Strength: In Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, England boast the most dangerous opening partnership in the world. They lift each other to a different level and have now scored three successive century partnerships. When they perform, it usually leads to victory.
Weakness: The good old fashioned English batting collapse. Eoin Morgan's side might have reinvented almost everything else about their limited-overs cricket, but their bad days are still truly awful. Losing wickets in heavy clusters is a habit they would like to kick, but even their enviably long tail cannot bail them out when the fever hits.
Key man: Jonny Bairstow (462 runs at 51.33)
World ranking: 1
Group Position: 3rd
New Zealand
Form: The Black Caps started the tournament in rude health, going unbeaten in their first six matches, only to go off the boil at just the wrong time. They have now lost three in a row, a last-over finish against Pakistan and thrashings by Australia and England. Momentum is fading.
Strength: Absolute clarity of method. The Kiwis know their preferred blueprint and rarely veer from it. They keep things simple but effective, rotating their hitters around Kane Williamson's ultra-reliable output and cycle through a varied bowling attack.
Weakness: An element of conservatism might have crept in to their game following the retirement of Brendon McCullum. A born gambler, he always doubled down on aggression. Williamson is less inclined and when the pressure is on it may count against him.
Key man: Lockie Ferguson (17 wickets at 18.58)
World ranking: 4
Group Position: 4th
Final Group standings
Played | Won | Lost | No Result | Tied | Net Run Rate | Points
- India P 9 W 7 L 1 N/R 1 T 0 NRR +0.809 Pts 15
- Australia P 9 W 7 L 2 N/R 0 T 0 NRR +0.868 Pts 14
- England P 9 W 6 L 3 N/R 0 T 0 NRR +1.152 Pts 12
- New Zealand P 9 W 5 L 3 N/R 1 T 0 NRR +0.175 Pts 11
- Pakistan P 9 W 5 L 3 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.430 Pts 11
- Sri Lanka P 9 W 3 L 4 N/R 2 T 0 NRR -0.919 Pts 8
- South Africa P 9 W 3 L 5 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.030 Pts 7
- Bangladesh P 9 W 3 L 5 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.410 Pts 7
- West Indies P 9 W 2 L 6 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.225 Pts 5
- Afghanistan P 9 W 0 L 9 N/R 0 T 0 NRR -1.322 Pts 0