Quarter-final action at the 2015 Cricket World Cup concluded on Saturday, as New Zealand became the final team to book their place in the semi-finals with a strong victory over the West Indies in Wellington.
Joining South Africa, India and Australia in the last four, the Black Caps ensured that the tournament’s four standout teams will contest the semi-finals in Sydney and Auckland next week.
Across the following slides, we power rank the World Cup sides following the quarter-final stage.
It might be said too often at times, but it’s true nevertheless: Losing can be tolerated, but how you lose is important.
As explained, the manner of the West Indies’ defeat to New Zealand on Saturday was simply bad for the game in the Caribbean.
Yes, the game was exhilarating in terms of stroke play, and Chris Gayledid initially give the West Indies a glimmer of hope with a ferocious half-century. But it’s the little things that this team does awfully. The basics. The (what should be) non-negotiables.
With no apparent discipline and with the team, collectively, not holding themselves to any sort of standards (particularly in the field), the West Indies were blown away in Wellington. And in the process, they showed everyone else how not to lose.
At this World Cup, Bangladesh have shown signs that they’re ready to move on from a largely disastrous year in 2014—a rather tumultuous period in the nation’s short cricketing history.
Of course, the victory over England in Adelaide was impressive, but it was the way the Tigers pushed New Zealand in Hamilton that was really indicative of progress.
Bangladesh also did what an ICC full member team should do by claiming comfortable victories in their clashes with the Associates and can go home knowing a quarter-final exit at the hands of India is no disgrace.
What if Rahat Ali had taken that catch?
For Pakistan, that question will haunt them consistently over the coming weeks and months (maybe even years), as they contemplate what could have been had Shane Watson been removed to leave Australia at 83 for four chasing 214.
But, as usual, Pakistan’s real focus should be on the way they hit the self-destruct button with the bat in hand. Again.
Time and time again in Adelaide, Pakistani batsmen threw their wickets away, once more showing that this team is simply unable to control and manage an innings under pressure.
If they could shake that habit of imploding, who knows how good this team could be.
It was extremely surprising to see Sri Lanka dispatched so easily by South Africa in the first quarter-final of this World Cup.
For so long, the Sri Lankans have been the kings of the knockout stages, owning a knack for navigating their way to final after final at the ICC’s global tournaments.
It was also a disappointing ending for Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the close friends who’ve become one of the finest partnerships in the game’s history.
However, outside the game’s four leading sides at present (Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa), Sri Lanka are undoubtedly the outfit closest to that pack, having shown at this World Cup and throughout the last 12 months that, at their best, they’re capable of matching it with anyone.
A quarter-final exit doesn’t change that.
They’ve done it. At last. Finally.
South Africa have shrugged the knockout hoodoo. Well, for now.
Yet, despite cruising into the semi-finals with a thumping victory over Sri Lanka, it’s still hard to know what you’re going to get from this South African team at the moment.
One minute, they look fearsome, sweeping aside teams almost with contempt; the next, they look vulnerable, falling away against India and Pakistan when the pressure is taken up a notch.
Now they’ve got New Zealand at Eden Park. Which South Africa will we see?
When historians look back over the 2015 World Cup, the scorecard from Australia’s victory over Pakistan in Adelaide won’t even go close to telling the whole story. Not at all.
Though the hosts recorded a six-wicket win, it was anything but comfortable. And they rode their luck along the way.
Of course, this is still an imposing side, one stacked with explosive batsmen, blistering speedsters and dynamic fielders.
But there also appears to be a little bit of a soft underbelly if you can land some early blows. New Zealand demonstrated that. Pakistan, briefly, did too.
The semi-final clash with India will be fascinating.
If Brendon McCullum doesn’t get you, Martin Guptill will.
And if Tim Southee doesn’t get you, Trent Boult will.
Those were essentially the messages from New Zealand’s destruction of the West Indies in Wellington on Saturday.
Still undefeated at this World Cup, the Kiwis will go into their semi-final with South Africa as warm favourites, currently riding a wave of confidence that is unprecedented in the country’s history.
But there’s still one question that hasn’t been answered by the Black Caps: Can this team chase down a significant total against an elite side?
Throughout this World Cup, we’ve seen New Zealand annihilate teams when batting first, but they’ve also make hard work of their chases against Scotland, Australia and Bangladesh—the first two of which featured very small targets.
What happens if South Africa set them 300 or more at Eden Park next week?
If you’re still trying to understand India’s turnaround, you’re not alone—we can’t fully grasp it either.
But there’s one fact that’s inescapable: No one has even come close to defeating MS Dhoni’s team at this World Cup.
They’ve cruised past everyone. Even heavyweights like South Africa have been disposed of with a minimum of fuss.
As always, the team’s batting strength is formidable. But it’s the form of the side’s bowling attack that’s really made the difference—the ingredient that’s seen this team become multidimensional.
Of course, in Sydney next week, Australia will start as favourites against India in their semi-final. But it will be because of home-ground advantage—not because of form.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Despite some big scores, a somewhat bowler-heavy XI has emerged from the quarter-finals. Despite the pool stages being dominated by batsmen, the bowlers got their own back during the crunch games.
The matches were quite one-sided, so it’s no surprise that the bulk of the players emerge from the winning teams.
