With the 2023 World Cup reaching halfway point, it is time to have a peek into the hits and misses of the tournament. Who are the players to have hogged the limelight with their breathtaking performances and who are the ones trying to find a way out of a bad patch….
HITS
Heinrich Klaasen: A succession of South African players put up stellar performances, but he perhaps stands out among the lot. Klaasen, who bats at No. 5, has staggering numbers — 288 runs at 57.6 and at a strike rate of 150.78. He notched up a blazing 61-ball hundred against England and that was followed by another rollicking innings of 90 versus Bangladesh. He made those runs in style, by tonking bowlers to all parts of the ground. If South Africa have to go far in this tournament and hoist their maiden World Cup trophy, then they need their X-factor to continue this rich vein of form.
Jasprit Bumrah: Like South Africa, India too have most parts of the engine functioning smoothly. But Jasprit Bumrah has been the most impactful among them. Different conditions or different phases of the game, he has been the cornerstone of India’s clean slate in the tournament. Conventional swing or seam movement, a little bit of reverse swing or hit-the-deck skills, Bumrah has more than enough weapons in his quiver. He also has the control to execute his skills. Incidentally, he is currently the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 11 scalps.
Rachin Ravindra: It’s unfair to leave out Mitchell Santner out of the list. After all, he is topping the bowling charts. However, Ravindra’s immense contribution to the New Zealand side has been such that it is difficult to ignore him. It isn’t just about his numbers — 290 runs at an average of 72.5 and strike rate of just over 100. If you scratch the surface, the larger picture of Ravindra opening up another slot for a frontline batter emerges. As he also bowls left-arm spin, alongside batting in the top order, the think-tank can afford to play an extra batter at No. 7 in Mark Chapman.
MISSES
Jos Buttler: It has been an embarrassing campaign for England so far. The defending champions are languishing near the bottom of the table with just one victory. Quite a few of their big players haven’t performed up to expectations. Jos Buttler, one of the finest ball strikers, has aggregated a mere 77 runs. The only time the skipper looked set to make an impression was in the first match against New Zealand. But on 43, he edged one to the ’keeper. This tendency to steer it through third-man or hang back in the crease against in-swingers has caused him problems in recent times. Incidentally, he averages just 11.85 in eight ODIs in India. It’s difficult to explain this because most of those pitches were good for batting.
Mark Wood: The Durham fast bowler came into the tournament in the form of his life. He wasn’t just bowling fast but also seemed to have the control to use his weapons. But he has had a lacklustre tournament so far, averaging 70 with an economy rate of 6.77. He currently holds the record for the fastest ball of the tournament but his lines have been awry. Interestingly, he didn’t even employ much of his main weapon, the hit-the-deck skills, against South Africa. Perhaps the heat at Wankhede Stadium took its toll on the pace bowler.
Shadab Khan: The Pakistan all-rounder has bagged a mere two wickets in four matches and averages 90. Even on a Chennai track that helped the spinners a little bit, he finished with modest figures of none for 49 from eight overs. In the same game, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan spin duo, put on noteworthy performances. It is evident that this leg-spinner hasn’t been able to impart enough revs on the ball, and the opposition teams are targeting him.