A Game Bigger Than The Final

47 of the 49 of the matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 are done. We are just remaining with two more games. Co-hosts New Zealand have already made the finals and tomorrow will decide which team joins the Black Caps at MCG on Sunday. If there ever will be a match bigger than the final, it will be tomorrow when India take on Australia at the historic SCG.

Everything said and talked about tomorrow's game will be less. Perhaps English language needs to find a few more words to really describe what tomorrow's clash will be. But, hear me, folks, it will be nothing short of a cracker.

Both India and and Australia have dominated their opponents in this tournament so far. And both the teams have shown exemplary all-round cricket to make it to the semi-finals. The Indian bowling has surprised many in this tournament. And the Australians have always been dominant when they play at home.

India began their World Cup campaign following a dismal Australian tour. They could not win a single game in the course of the tour. The bowlers were all-round the wicket and the famous Indian batting lacked class. But all that has been left behind. After crushing, and I mean crushing when I say it, Pakistan and South Africa in their opening matches, the Indian team has never looked back. Led by captain MS Dhoni, the entire Indian unit has played like a unit. India has not dropped a single game en-route to the semis. The batting has lived up to its expectations and every top-order batsmen has gone to score hundred. The middle order has stepped up and taken responsibility when the top-order has failed. The likes of Raina, Rahane and captain Dhoni have been crucial in this line-up as they have accelerated when needed and anchored the innings when needed. These are some huge positives for India. And the biggest positive is the Indian bowling. India's bowling was seen as her weakness while coming in the World Cup. However, the Indian trio of Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami and Mohit Sharma has given every critic a run for their money. They have bowled a disciplined line and length, landed the ball at the right places, pitched the yorkers correctly at the death, made good use of the short ball and most importantly they have picked wickets. India is the only team in this World Cup to have bowled out their opposition all the seven times. Mohammad Shami features among the top wicket takers of the World Cup so far. Even the spinners have come good, particularly Ashwin, as they have restricted the opposition well in the middle span of play. All and all the Indian outfit is ready to take on the Aussies.

Australia, too, have had a great run in the cup so far. Barring the one loss to New Zealand, they have won all their games. They, too, have gelled well as a unit. In batting, Warner, Finch, Watson, Steve Smith and captain Clarke have played their part well. However, the biggest positive for the Aussies is Glenn Maxwell. He comes and is off from the word Go. There is simply no stopping him. He bats fearlessly. He clears the big boundaries of the Australian grounds with ease and with his innovative stroke-making, he has been difficult to get out. He will be the trump-card of their batting line-up tomorrow. Australian bowling, traditionally has been world class. Johnson is bowling with searing pace and Hazlewood's line and length has caught quite a few people's attention. And Mitchell Starc has been on rampage. He is the second highest wicket taker in this World Cup and his yorkers at the death and controlled short stuff has been difficult to play. And Faulkner is always there to provide with his all-round performance. 

50,000 Indians have booked tickets for tomorrow's match. Indians from all over the world will be there at the SCG and would want to see India make it to their second successive World Cup Final. Michael Clarke has personally appealed Australians to lend support to the home team tomorrow. But by the looks of it, SCG will be Solid Blue tomorrow. 

Mind games have long since begun. But what will matter is the 100 overs on the ground tomorrow. Traditionally, the SCG has favored spin. And with cyclone Vanuatu receding, the track must be all the more dry. Ashwin and Jadeja will be licking their lips. 

In modern day cricket, India v Australia has gone on to become the most famous rivalry in cricket, beating that of Australia and England and even India and Pakistan. The toss will be all the more crucial. Both teams would want to bat first and avoid the pressure of chasing in a big game. Truly, tomorrow will be a game, perhaps, bigger than the final. A cracker on the cards is lined-up. 

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A SEA OF BLUE AT THE SCG???

The Last Four Decided

The eight best teams of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 completed the Quarter-Final line up. New Zealand and India came on top of Pool A and Pool B respectively. Both the teams made it to the Quarter-Final stage undefeated. India had 60 wickets from the 6 games of the group stage, a record of sorts for India in World Cup Cricket. Bangladesh was the surprise package of the tournament. They had a dream run in the CWC 2015, particularly when they knocked England out in the group stages. But, now teams had to play fully to their potential. It was the Knock-Out stages. No team could afford to make mistakes.

The First Quarter-Final - South Africa v Sri Lanka @ Sydney

South Africa played Sri Lanka in the first Quarter-Final of the ICC CWC 2015. South Africa wanted to win to shake off the "Chokers" tag while the Sri Lankans wanted to give a grand farewell to veterans, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. 

Sri Lanka batted first on a good track. However, the Sri Lankan batsmen were no match against the South African bowlers. The Proteas were very disciplined with their line and length and their fielding was as sharp as ever. The Lankans were bowled out for a meager 133. Sangakkara top-scored with 45. Imran Tahir snared 4 of the Sri Lankan wickets. 

Chasing 134 was not going to be challenging for the South Afrcian batsmen. And they showed the very same in their batting. They lost just one wicket and chased down 134 in the 18th over. Quinton De Kock found form as he top-scored with an unbeaten 78. The South Africans made it to the Semi-Finals of the ICC CWC 2015 without much sweat. 

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara walked off the ground one last time as ODI players. They will go down in history as legends of not only Sri Lankan Cricket but also World Cricket.

The Second Quarter-Final - India v Bangladesh @ Melbourne

Defending champions India played Bangladesh in the second quarter-final at the MCG. It was a historic day for Bangladesh cricket as they had made it to the quarter-finals of the Cricket World Cup 2015. But they had their task cut-out against India, who were particularly in great form.

India batted first on a good MCG batting surface. The Indian batsmen were off to a steady start. They did not underestimate the Bangladesh bowlers at all. And that showed in their performance. Rohit Sharma came back to form with a spectacular 100. He scored a huge 137 of 126 balls, a knock which included 14 4s and 3 6s. Raina continued his good run in the tournament as he scored a quickfire 65 of 57 balls. India ended up with 302-6 in their 50 overs. Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/69 of his 10 overs. Bangladesh had a huge mountain to climb.

Bangladesh needed to get a good start. However, they did not manage that start as they lost 2 wickets for 33. There after, the Bangladesh batsmen managed to get a few starts but could not convert their starts. Bangladesh continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Eventually, Bangladesh were bowled out for 193 in 45 overs. Nasir Hossain top scored with 35. Umesh Yadav picked up 4 wickets giving away just 31 runs in his 9 overs. India win the game by 109 runs and continued their unbeaten run. India bowled out their opposition the 7th successive time in this World Cup. 

The Third Quarter-Final - Australia v Pakistan @ Adelaide

Hosts and favorites Australia played Pakistan in the third quarter final. Australia definitely had an upper hand in this contest, but you never know when the Pakistanis would spring a surprise. Pakistan batted first. The Australian bowlers were on the mark right from the word Go. They troubled the Pakistan batsmen with their swing, seam, bounce and pace. The Pakistan batsmen kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. Spectacular Australian fielding did not help Pakistan's cause. Pakistan were bowled out for 213 with a ball to spare. Haris Sohail top score with 41. Josh Hazlewood, who was brought into this game in place of Pat Cummins, justified his selection by picking up 4 wickets. Australia had a fairly easy run chase.

However, the Australians had a stuttering start. They lost Finch early. Wahab Riaz was at his best and he sent Warner and captain Clarke back to the hut. The Aussies were 60-3. Watson joined Steve Smith. Both of them carefully took ahead the Australian innings. Smith brought of his half century, a well-compiled one. After Smith's departure, Maxwell joined Watson. Watson brought up his half-century. Maxwell was at his destructive best as he smashed the Pakistan bowlers all over the park. Without any further loss of wickets, Australia got over the line in 33.5 overs. Smith top scored with 65 while Watson remained unbeaten on 64. Wahab Riaz was the pick of Pakistan bowlers with 2 wickets off his 9 overs.

Australia made it to the semi-finals of the CWC 2015. They have set up a date with India at the SCG on 26th March.

The Fourth Quarter-Final - New Zealand v West Indies @ Wellington

The fourth Quarter-Final was played today between hosts New Zealand and West Indies. The Black Caps played in front of their huge home support at the Cake Tin. McCullum called it right and elected to bat first.

The New Zealand openers walked out to huge applause and cheers. They were off. However, the Kiwis did not get off to a good start as they lost their skipper early. Williamson joined Guptill. They both stitched a partnership. Guptill played particularly freely as he stroked the ball to different parts of the ground. All the New Zealand batsmen played around Guptill as he continued playing his shorts all around the Westpac stadium. He played magnificent cricket and brought up his 100 first, 150 next and eventually 200. Martin Guptill became the first New Zealand batsmen to score a double hundred when he brought his up with a four down the ground. It was a treat to watch Martin Guptill bat. Not one of his shot was any modern day cricketing shot but all his shots around the park were traditional cricketing shots. He eventually remained Not Out for 237 for 163. The Black Caps piled on a huge 393-6 in 50 overs. All the West Indies bowlers were expensive; Jerome Taylor was the top wicket taker with 3. Gayle had to come good for the Windies or else the Kiwis were already through to the semis. 

West Indies had a horrible start. They lost Johnson Charles right in the second over. Lightning Boult struck the Windies today. He bowled a straight spell of 10 overs and picked up 4 wickets in his spell. Gayle did play his shots and aggressive cricket. However, the Windies run chase virtually folded when he was castled by Adam Milne. He fell for 61 of 33. The West Indies continued losing wickets and eventually were bowled out for 250 in the 31st over. The New Zealand flags were flying all over the Cake Tin. The Kiwis had made it to the semis of the World Cup 2015. Trent Boult snared 4 wickets and gave away 44 runs in his 10 overs. But the hero of the day was Martin Guptill. A great knock which will go down in history as one of New Zealand's best as well as one of cricket's best. He led his team off and will be a key when New Zealand take on South Africa in the first semi final.

From 14 teams, the CWC 2015 has come down to 4 teams. And rightly, the four best teams of the competition have made it to the semi finals. Now it will be a test of consistency and playing the big games as the semis get underway on Tuesday.

The Semi-Final Line-Up:

Date	Teams	Venue
March 24	New Zealand v South Africa	Eden Park, Auckland
March 26	Australia v India	SCG, Sydney

GROUP STAGE DONE AND DUSTED - IT'S KNOCKOUT TIME

The Cricket World Cup 2015 Down-Under in now a month old. For a month, 14 teams battled out in the two pools. And now we have the 8 teams that have made it to the business end of the tournament.

Bangladesh have been the surprise package of the tournament so far. They have shown England their way back home and are the fourth team to qualify from Pool A. They have played exceptional cricket in this tournament and perhaps have their best bowling line-up ever. The batting too has clicked with all the batsmen contributing particularly Mahmudullah, who has registered two successive tons against England and New Zealand respectively.

Let us quickly go through the group games in the second half of the group stages in the Cricket World Cup 2015.

South Africa played Ireland on 2nd March at Canberra. The South African batsmen put up a huge score of 411 for the loss of 4 wickets. Hashim Amla and Faf Du Plessis registered tons. In reply, the Irish were bowled out for 210 in 45 overs. Hashim Amla was the Player of the Match for his score of 159 of just 128 balls. It was a record of sorts since it was the first time in World Cup Cricket history that a team had put up a score in excess of 400 in consecutive games.

Australia played associates Afghanistan at the WACA two days later. Another record of World Cup cricket was set in this game. Batting first, the Australians scored a massive 417 for the loss of 6 wickets. David Warner scored a swashbuckling 178 of just 133 balls. Steve Smith missed his 100 by just 5 runs while Glenn Maxwell just does not know the singles and twos exist and always clears the ropes. He smashed 7 6s in his knock of 88 of just 39 balls. 

Afghanistan, in reply, were bowled out for 142 in 37.3 overs. Fiery Mitch Johnson picked up 4 wickets. Australia registered the highest team total in World Cup cricket, beating the previous 413 set by India set in 2007 against Bermuda.

Bangladesh played England at the Adelaide Oval on March 9. It was a kind of a pre-quarter final game for both the teams. The winners would go through. England were under pressure and Bangladesh were high on confidence. Bangladesh batted first and registered 275-7 in 50 overs, a competitive total. Mahmudullah registered his second consecutive ton of the tournament. The English batsmen had their task cut out. Bangladesh chipped away at the wickets at regular intervals and bowled out the English batsmen for 260 in 48.3 overs. Bangladesh pulled off their greatest victory. It was a historic day for Bangladesh cricket. They sent England packing out of the tournament and booked a place in the quarters.

The group stage came to an end today with Pakistan getting the better of Ireland by 3 wickets. The Irish played very good cricket throughout the tournament however, perhaps fell short off pace this time around. They could not replicate their dream win against Pakistan 8 years back but they did pitch a strong voice for all the Associate Member nations.

The Group stage of Cricket World Cup 2015 has finally come to an end. It has been very interesting. New records have been set and a few new players have come ahead. The tournament is nicely set up for the quarter-finals. The knockout stage of this competition is going to be a treat to watch surely.

Ø  The Quarter-Final Games:

Date	Competition	Venue
March 18	Sri Lanka v/s South Africa	SCG, Sydney
March 19	Bangladesh v/s India	MCG, Melbourne
March 20	Australia v/s Pakistan	Adelaide Oval
March 21	New Zealand v/s West Indies	Westpac, Wellington

A LANKAN LION FONDLY KNOWN AS SANGA

He has scored 14,189 runs at an average of 41.97, in the 403 ODIs he has played till date. In Test Cricket he has gone on to amass 12,203 runs in 130 Tests matches at a staggering average of 58.66. These stats belong to none other than Kumar Sangakkara, fondly known as Sanga, who has been the backbone of the Sri Lankan batting line-up for more than a decade now.

The classy southpaw was born on October 27, 1977 at Matale, Sri Lanka. He started out by playing a number of sports including Badminton, Tennis, Swimming, Table-Tennis along with Cricket at the junior school level and also went on to win national colors for Badminton and Tennis at his younger age. The then principal of Trinity College, Leonard de Alwis, advised his mother to encourage him to concentrate on Cricket. From then on, he went to represent his school at various different competitions. He was a chorister and played the violin in his school days. He was awarded "The Trinity Lion", the most prestigious prize awarded to a Trinity sportsperson, for his exceptional batting and wicket-keeping skills in the 1996 season when he was 19. He was awarded with the highest honor of Trinity College, "The Ryde Gold Medal", for the best all-round student in his year.

Sanga's international cricket journey began, when he represented Sri Lanka 'A' side to tour South Africa in 1998-99. His unbeaten 156 against Zimbabwe 'A', in that tour, secured him a place in the Sri Lankan national team. He made his Test debut, against South Africa, on July 20, 2000. His first Test century came against India, when the latter toured Sri Lanka for a three-match series. His 105 not-out, batting at no 3, laid the foundation for a 10-wicket Sri Lankan win. His first double century came against Pakistan in 2002, at the Asian Test Championship final. He made his ODI debut on July 5, 2000 against Pakistan. His first hundred came against Pakistan in April 2003. And in July 2005, he was selected for the ICC World XI ODI team.

Sangakkara succeeded Mahela Jayawardene as captain of Sri Lanka, in all formats of the game, in February 2009. He was 31 at that time and was well experienced having played 80 Tests and 246 ODIs. His first major tournament as captain was the ICC World Twenty-20 hosted by England in June, a competition in which Sri Lanka emerged as the Runners-Up. He captained Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, held in the sub-continent, a tournament in which Sri Lanka made it to the finals. He was in prolific form throughout the tournament scoring 465 runs from 9 games and was the third-highest run-getter behind teammate Tilakaratane Dilshan and Sachin Tendulkar. He stepped down as captain post the World Cup. He was also instrumental in the final of the ICC World Twenty-20 2014, when he scored a 51 not-out off 33 balls against India, which saw Sri Lanka win their second ICC trophy since 1996. Kumar Sangakkara announced his retirement after the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

Ø  His Cricket World Cup 2015 Journey:

Kumar Sangakkara has gone on to break quite a few records in the last tournament of his career. On February 14, in the game where Sri Lanka played hosts New Zealand, he became the second-highest run-scorer, behind Sachin Tendulkar, in ODI history surpassing Ricky Ponting of Australia. On February 26, in the game agianst Bangladesh, he went on to score his 22nd ODI century, and his first of the tournament, in his 400th ODI. On March 1, in the game against England, Sanga along with Lahiru Thirimanne, put on a record breaking partnership of 212* for the second wicket. He scored his 23rd century, and his second of the tournament, in this game. His century came in just 70 balls and is his fastest century overall and the fastest century by a Sri Lankan in World Cup Cricket. Sanga scored his third century on the trot in this World Cup, in the game against Australia in their next group encounter. He passed 14,000 ODI runs in this game becoming the first Sri Lankan and the second player overall, behind Sachin Tendulkar, to do so. In the very next game against Scotland, he scored a huge 124 and became the First Player to score Four consecutive Hundreds in Cricket World Cup History. He is leading the charts in the run-getters in this World Cup having scored 496 Runs in 6 Innings at an Average of 124.

Kumar Sangakkara will be missed by Sri Lankan Cricket. His contribution to Sri Lankan ODI and Test Cricket will remain as one of the most significant. His contribution to World Cricket, too, will never be forgotten, He truly is one of the finest Wicketkeeper Batsmen in World Cricket will ever see.

Ø  Test Statistics:

Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s	Not Outs
130	225	12,203	58.39	54.25	38	51	16

Highest Score - 319 against Bangladesh at Chittagong on February 4, 2014

Ø  ODI Statistics:

Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s	Not Outs
403	379	14,189	41.98	79.04	25	93	41

Highest Score - 169 against South Africa at Colombo on July 20, 2013

Ø  T20I Statistics:

Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	50s	Not Outs
56	53	1382	31.41	119.55	8	9

Highest Score - 78 against India at Nagpur in December 2009

Blue the Brightest on Holi at Perth

India took on West Indies in their fourth Group B encounter at the WACA, Perth on 6^th March. It was Holi back home in India and every Indian wanted the colour Blue to reign at Perth. However, playing against the West Indies has always been tricky. The Caribbean team is perhaps the most unpredictable side in the tournament so far. On their day, they have the potential to blow any team away. India needed to be wary. The track at the WACA has traditionally been pacy and bouncy. Some even call it the bounciest track in the world. And the West Indies played with an all fast attack.

The West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. Traditionally it has never been easy to chase at Perth especially under lights. India was going to chase for the first time in this World Cup. A win would assure them of a place in the Knock-Outs. The big screen counted down and they were off.

The Indian bowlers began with pace and accurate line and length. The West Indies openers, Gayle and Smith watched the ball. The onus was on Chris Gayle to deliver. However, the Indian bowlers, Shami and Yadav bowled, keeping the line and length in mind. Gayle was beaten quite a few times by both. Dwayne Smith nicked the last ball of the fifth over to Dhoni giving Shami his wicket. The Indian supporters at the WACA were up on their feet. The West Indies were 8-1. Marlon Samuels joined Gayle. However, his stay at the crease was short-lived. A misunderstanding between him and Gayle left both the batsmen at the strikers end and Virat Kohli did the rest by flicking the bails off at the non-striker’s end. West Indies were now in trouble at 15-2. Jonathan Carter joined Gayle. Gayle, now perhaps angry, decided to take on the Indian bowlers. A vintage Gayle smashed two boundaries and a huge six over mid-wicket. Shami came to India’s rescue. He bowled fast and bowled with bounce. Gayle mistimed a pull, the ball flew off and Mohit Sharma came running in from fine-leg completed a good catch. The dangerous Gayle was sent back to the hut. The Windies were struggling at 35-3. Thereafter, the West Indies continued to lose wickets. Ramdin was castled by Yadav, Simmons was caught of Mohit Sharma’s bowling by Umesh Yadav, Carter was caught by Shami of Ashwin’s bowling, and Russel was caught by Kohli in the deep of Jadeja’s bowling. The West Indies were reeling at 85-7. It seemed probable that India would bowl out the West Indies under 150. The young West Indies captain Jason Holder joined Darren Sammy.

They built a partnership of sorts. Steadily they played the Indian bowlers and took the score past 100. Darren Sammy played the anchor while Holder played his shots. A few proper cricketing shots by Holder were a treat to watch. However, disappointment was in store for the West Indies fans when Sammy nicked a Mohammad Shami ball to Dhoni. The partnership was broken and West Indies were 124-8.  Jerome Taylor joined Captain Holder. Holder played his shots confidently and brought up a well-deserved half-century. Holder and Taylor took the West Indies score past 150. While they were in there, a competitive score of 220-230 was on the cards. However, that was not to be as Taylor skied one and Umesh Yadav completed an easy catch off his own bowling. The scorecard read 175-9. Kemar Roach joined Captain Holder. Holder hit Jadeja straight down the ground, but his shot was mistimed. Virat Kohli completed a good catch at long-off and the West Indies were bowled out for 182. Holder played a Captain’s knock of 57 of 64 balls. His innings included 4 boundaries and 3 towering Sixes. West Indies bowlers had now something to bowl at. However, seeing India’s batting in the tournament, it looked like an easy chase.

Mohammad Shami was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets of 8 overs and giving away 35 runs. Yadav and Jadeja snared 2 each while Ashwin and Mohit picked one wicket each.

Indian openers walked out to thunderous cheers. An animated Curtley Ambrose was seen instructing the West Indies bowlers to bowl the right areas.

Jerome Taylor began the West Indies bowling. He kept a strict off-stump line and asked various questions to the Indian batsmen. His tight bowling borne fruit when Shikhar Dhawan nicked one and was snared by Sammy at the slips.  Rohit Sharma followed Dhawan to the pavilion when he nicked Taylor to Ramdin. India were in a trouble of sorts at 20-2. Rahane and Kohli steadied the Indian ship. They played cautiously and took the score past 50. Kohli particularly dispatched the bad balls to the fence with ease. His shots were a treat to watch.

However, he pulled a short one by Russel and was caught by Samuels at deep-square leg on 33. Rahane was joined by Suresh Raina at the crease. India were 63-3. Raina was peppered with shot balls by the West Indies bowlers. The pair played slowly and continued the chase. However, Rahane got a feather of Kemar Roach’s bowling and was given out by umpire Llong and the decision was confirmed by umpire Bowden. India was 78-4. The West Indies bowlers particularly were disciplined. They bowled to their plans and did not give much room to the batsmen. Captain MS Dhoni joined Raina. Countless times in the past, MS Dhoni had taken India to victory from difficult situations. He played like he always does in such situations. 

Manoeuvring the ball in the circle and running hard between the wickets, Raina and Dhoni took the score past 100. But, Raina was done in by the short one. He chased on wide one of Dwayne Smith and got a thick edge and Ramdin completed an easy catch behind the stumps. India now was 107-5. Jadeja joined Captain Cool. MS Dhoni continued his watchful batting. He nudged the ball around and played every ball to its merit. However, Jadeja was caught by Samuels of Russell’s bowling. He fell for 13. India was now 134-6. Ashwin now joined Dhoni.

India needed to safely see the West Indies bowlers off. The target was well within reach and the Indian batsmen just had to stay in the middle and play out every ball to its merit. That is exactly what Dhoni and Ashwin did. Dhoni’s innings was a mix of stroke-playing and nudges. Without further damage, they took ahead the Indian innings.  With a faint edge to the fence to third-man, India brought up the winning runs. In 39.1 overs India brought up 185 for the loss of 6 wickets. India emerged victorious by 4 wickets. MS Dhoni top scored with 44 not out of 56 balls. His innings included 3 4s and 1 6. Jerome Taylor was the pick for the West Indies with figures of 2-33 of 8 overs. With this win, India were now through to the quarter-finals, the second team after New Zealand. Mohammad Shami was declared the Player of the Match for his figures of 3-35 for 8 overs.

MS Dhoni has now become the Indian captain with most ODI wins under his belt. He overtook Sourav Ganguly after yesterday’s win. India now will travel to New Zealand for their remaining group games against Ireland and Zimbabwe on the 10^th and 14^th respectively. 

NEW RECORDS, CLOSE FINISHES AND ASSOCIATE MEMBERS MAKING A STATEMENT

The Cricket World Cup 2015 has been a very engaging tournament so far. New records have been set, a few close finishes have made the tournament more exciting and the Associate Member Nations have made a statement by their spectacular performances. They have now posed a serious threat to various Full Member Nations.

The tournament began with the host nations Australia and New Zealand registering huge wins.

The much anticipated India-Pakistan clash saw great viewership all across the world and saw India emerge victorious by 76 runs.

Ireland beat the West Indies by 4 wickets when they chased down 304 in 45.5 overs. This was the third time that the Irish chased down a total in excess of 300+ in World Cup cricket out of the total 6 300+ chases.

The Kiwis bowled England out for 123 at Wellington on February 20, a game in which Tim Southee scalped 7/33. In the very same game captain Brendon McCullum scored a blistering 50 on road to a famous Kiwi win. Southee's 7/33 are the best bowling figures by a Kiwi in ODIs.

Shikhar Dhawan scored a spectacular 137 against the South Africans at the MCG, a game in which India beat the strong Proteas by a massive 130 runs.

Gayle storm hit Zimbabwe when he scored 215 of 147 balls, the first individual score of 200 in World Cup cricket. He smashed 10 4s and an astonishing 16 6s. The Windies notched up their highest ODI total in this game, 372-2.

The Proteas recovered swiftly from their loss against India when they scored a giant 408-5 against the West Indies. AB DeVilliers bludgeoned an unbeaten 66 ball 162 which included 17 4s and 8 6s. He brought up his last fifty runs in as few as 10 balls. The bowled out the West Indies for 151, registering a huge 257 run victory.

Only yesterday, New Zealand edged out Australia by 1 wicket in a low scoring encounter. Australia, after a fantastic start were bowled out for 151. From 80-1 The Aussies fell to 151-10. The Kiwis lost 9 wickets in their chase of 152. Mitchell Starc swung the ball and snared 6 wickets, but that just was not enough for the Aussies. The Kiwis emerged victorious by 1 wicket.

And today, Sri Lanka convincingly chased down 309, set by England, in 47.2 overs. Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara scored 100s. This was the 6th 300+ in World Cup cricket.

To sum things up, the first 15 days of the World Cup 2015 has been a treat to watch. As the tournament progresses, everyone around the world will be looking forward to an enthralling tournament. 

A THUMPING WIN @ MCG

90 000 spectators live at the MCG and millions others around the world watched with great enthusiasm as India took on South Africa, at what perhaps was the biggest Group B encounter. India and South Africa had faced each other thrice in the past in the World Cups and all the three times the Proteas emerged victorious. India were at the MCG high on confidence, having beaten Pakistan comprehensively last Sunday.

The captains walked out to the middle for the toss along with Mark Nicholas. MS Dhoni called correctly and India elected to bat first on a track tailor-made for batting with a hint of live green grass.

The National Anthems were sung with great emotions from both sides. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma took guard and South African spearhead Dale Steyn was ready with the new ball. The big screen counted down, umpire Kettlebrough said play and off they went.

India were off to a disastrous start. Dhawan drove one to the cover region, Duminy at cover got a hand to the ball. The ball went to AB DeVilliers who picked it up and threw it in a flash at the non-strikers end hitting the target. Rohit Sharma who had set off for a single, was sent back and was short of his ground. Rohit fell for naught. Virat Kohli joined Dhawan as they had to stitch a partnership and lay a solid platform.

Both, Kohli and Dhawan played cautiously. They played just like they played against Pakistan. The South African bowling was good. Both the batsmen played risk free cricket. They ran the twos hard and were disciplined. Kohli played second fiddle in the partnership as Dhawan took on the bowling. Dhawan soon brought up his half-century, his second in a row.

The pair were going on well when India lost their second wicket. Kohli pulled a slightly short ball from Imran Tahir and the ball flew straight to Faf DuPlessis at mid-wicket who completed a good catch. He scored 46 of 60 balls. Ajinkya Rahane now joined Dhawan. Both played good cricketing shots with Rahane particularly  going more than run-a-ball. A few of Rahane's shots around the park were simply a delight to watch. One particular favorite of mine was when he hit Dale Steyn for a six straight down the ground. Dhawan continued is excellent stroke play and disciplined running to bring up a well-deserved century with a boundary square of the wicket. The MCG was up on its feet applauding a fantastic knock. He celebrated his century in typical Shikhar Dhawan fashion.

The pair continued. Rahane too brought up his quick-fire half century an innings that was very crucial to the game. His stroke-play was a treat to watch as he smashed the South African bowlers all round the park.

In the 44th over, Shikhar Dhawan pulled a short one from Parnell. The ball did not take the middle of the bat and Amla completed a good catch at fine leg. Dhawan walked back to a standing ovation. He scored 137 of 146 balls and hit 16 boundaries and 2 Sixes. India were 261-3. The platform was set for the lower order. India were staring at something close to 320-325.

Rahane was joined was Suresh Raina who was pumped with confidence having scored a half-century in his previous game. However, his stay was short-lived. He fell for 6 to Morne Morkel the very next over. Captain MS Dhoni joined Rahane in the middle. However, in the next over Rahane was caught right in front of Steyn and was given LBW. He walked back having scored a crucial 79 of 60 balls. Jadeja walked in next but soon was run out by another fantastic direct throw from AB DeVilliers. Dhoni hit a few boundaries before nicking one to De Kock. He fell for 18. India lost wickets in a cluster in the last few overs again. Shami pulled a short Dale Steyn delivery to the fence in the final over. India ended up with 307-7 in the final 50 overs. A minor collapse yet it was a massive total. Imran Tahir was the pick from South Africa having figures of 1-48 in his 10. South Africa had their task cut out. They indeed had world class players but scoring 308 needed a strong base and a Dhawan like innings from the top order.  

Quinton De Kock and Hashim Amla walked out to bat. Umesh Yadav had the new ball. South Africa had a tough chase ahead of them. They needed a solid start a strong platform to build upon.  But, that was not to be. De Kock drove Shami on the up straight to Virat Kohli at the cover region. South Africa were 12-1 in the 4th over. Faf du Plessis walked out. He and Amla cautiously worked to bring South Africa back on track. South Africa were 38-1 after 10.

Mohit Sharma banged one on the surface and Amla pulled it sending the ball flying to the fine leg region. Shami completed a simple catch and Amla fell for 22 in the 11th over. South Africa were in deep trouble at 40-2 when AB DeVilliers walked out to bat. AB and Faf had to bat out of their skins to chase down 307.

Ab and Faf started rescue operations. The batted cautiously taking the South African total past 100. However, this partnership was not fated to survive long enough. A sharp throw by Shami and Dhoni whipping of the bails in a flash resulted in AB DeVilliers wicket. The big fish was caught in the net. The South African skipper fell for 30 of 38. They were now 108-3. David Miller joined Faf.

Faf continued to play well and brought up his half-century. His innings had a variety of shots and good disciplined batting. It was good to watch him bat. With him and Miller at the centre, hope was still there for the Proteas. But, he soon departed after scoring his 50. He was caught by Dhawan off Mohit Sharma for 55. With his departure the writing on the wall was inevitable. JP Duminy now joined David Miller. They had staged the Proteas fight back against Zimbabwe but today it was a different opposition. Duminy handed Raina a simple catch off Ashwin's bowling and he fell for just 6. David Miller did hit a couple to the fence but then he to fell, for 22. He was run-out , this time by Umesh and Dhoni. The Proteas were 153-6. They lost Philander was a duck, leg before to Ashwin. Dale Steyn fell to Shami for 1 and Morkel was castled by Ashwin for 2. Imran Tahir and Wayne Parnell played 3 overs, a partnership of 16 for the 10th wicket. Tahir then fell, LBW to Jadeja in the 41st over for 8. South Africa was bowled out for 177 in 40.2 overs. India registered a Thumping Win by 130 runs.

Ashwin and Jadeja bowled well in the middle overs to dry the South African runs. Ashwin picked up three wickets while Jadeja picked up one in the process. But the contribution of Mohit Sharma and Mohammad Shami cannot be ignored. They stifled South Africa for runs early on by bowling tight and bowling fast. All the three Indian fast bowlers are now bowling in rhythm, bowling to their fields, bowling fast and bowling accurate. The Indian batsmen too played their part really well. The set it up beautifully for the bowlers. And the ground fielding was simply superb. It was an all round effort that won India the game. India have finally broken the South African jinx in World Cups. Shikhar Dhawan was rightfully declared as the Player of the match for his spectacular knock of 137.

Much had been said about the Indian team ahead of the World Cup. Perhaps we did not have the right bowling unit or the batsmen are out of form. It was an inexperienced side for the World Cup with the players not knowing much about the Australian conditions. All that will be put to rest. India have won their two big games of Pool B and look ahead to top Pool B. Also, they have laid a strong bid for the Last-4 spot. The Defending Champs are very much in business.