The prize this summer

The 2019 World Cup is perhaps more open than we think

The last time England hosted the cricket World Cup, 20 years ago, India and England were both run-of-the-mill one-day international teams incapable of forging a serious challenge for the title. A dominant Australia, under the stewardship of Steve Waugh, won that edition, the highlight of which was a pulsating semi-final between the eventual champions and South Africa. Two decades on and Australia is no longer the imperious force of old. In the supremacy stakes, they have been overtaken by England and India, two sides that have long overcome their pusillanimous past, exhibiting a bold brand of cricket in recent years.

England, in fact, is almost unrecognisable from the 2015 tournament, when they faced the humiliation of crashing out to Bangladesh in the group stages. Under Eoin Morgan, the host nation has spent the last four years preparing for just this, assembling a formidable batting line-up that has been blowing opposition bowling attacks out of the water for fun. India, on the other hand, has been remarkably consistent in the last two years, building on the strengths that saw them go all the way in 2011 and make the last four in 2015. There is little doubt then that the bookmakers have these two teams down as the clear favourites for the crown this time around.

In spite of England’s obvious batting prowess and the fact that they will be playing at home, it is perhaps important to note that India has the most balanced side in the competition: Batsmen that can operate in different gears and a bowling attack that has ample variety and enough mystery. And it naturally helps that the Indians boast the best batsman in the world, a certain Virat Kohli.

But more than his batting, Kohli’s World Cup will be judged by his captaincy. The Indian skipper has been guilty of rash decision-making in the past, tinkering with the bowling too much and not displaying enough tactical nous in the field. Amid the din that accompanied the latest season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it is easy to forget that India under Kohli squandered a 2-0 lead against a rank average Australian side at home earlier this year. That is what makes the role of Mahendra Singh Dhoni so crucial. The veteran keeper was at his wily best while leading Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and Kohli must make full use of Dhoni’s experience and his uncanny ability to get the best out of players in clutch situations. Moreover, India must guard against getting ahead of itself — high expectations often end in crushing defeat. In 2007, a seemingly impregnable Indian team that comprised Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag was humbled by Bangladesh.

In fact, it won’t be surprising if this World Cup also throws up such upsets. In a single-group round robin — being used for the first time since 1992 — the big guns will have to come up against the likes of Pakistan and the West Indies, gloriously unpredictable sides that can hurt anyone on their day. Moreover, with traditional powerhouses like Australia and South Africa going through a transition phase of sorts, lower-ranked sides will fancy their chances.

When the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced its decision to trim the number of participating teams from 14 in 2015 to just 10 this time, it came in for wholesale flak. Many argued that such a move would significantly impact the chances of Associate nations making the cut. But on the flip side, the ICC seems to have made a smart move: The tournament promises to be extraordinarily competitive, with little scope for meaningless, one-sided games that were once a norm at major competitions. Which means that the 2019 World Cup, set to begin this Thursday, is perhaps more open than we think — England and India might want to take note.