3 reasons why Australia can still qualify for 2023 World Cup semi-finals
Australia find themselves in unprecedented territory heading into their third match of the 2023 World Cup. Having lost both their opening matches, the Aussies are rock bottom in the points table. As it stands, there is a chance that they fail to make it to the semifinals.
The island nation has won a record five ODI World Cups, four of which have come in the last six tournaments. Failing to make it to the semi-finals of this year's edition will be nothing short of a disaster for Pat Cummins' side.
However, the tournament is a long one, and they still have seven more matches to climb up the points table. With that being said, let's look at three reasons Australia can still qualify for the 2023 World Cup semi-finals.
#1 Australia have immense experience in their squad
Australia have always been a side that likes to fill their roster with experienced campaigners. Seven players in the current squad were part of Australia's 2015 World Cup-winning squad: David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.
These seven players are not only squad members, but are regular features in their lineup. Having all played a lot of cricket, these are the sort of players who know how to claw back from a position of trouble.
The Kangaroos need to get back to winning ways as they face Sri Lanka at Lucknow today. With all seven of those players in the Aussie lineup, it will be hard to deny them the victory.
#2 Favorable short-term fixtures to gain momentum
With all due respect to Sri Lanka, they are no longer the force they were a couple of decades ago. Australia have the perfect opportunity to register a win by beating the same opposition they defeated in the 2007 World Cup final.
In the next two matches after Sri Lanka, the five-time World Cup winners face Pakistan and Netherlands. Pakistan themselves will be coming into the game on the back of a heavy defeat by arch-rivals India. The Aussies will be keen to add salt to their wounds.
India and South Africa have been two of the standout teams in the tournament so far. Hence, losing to them might not be detrimental to Australia's semi-final hopes. As long as they win against other sides, they should make it to the knockout stage.
#3 Other World Cup semifinal hopefuls have also had a rocky start
Although it's still early days in the tournament, the table shows a clear pattern. India, South Africa, and New Zealand are in a good position to make the semi-finals, as they are all unbeaten. Moreover, they all have a fairly easy game up next to further strengthen their position.
England have lost two matches and could be level on points with their Ashes rivals if Pat Cummins' men get the better of Sri Lanka today. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, Pakistan will also be dragged into this semi-final scrap, as they still have to face a lot of quality teams in the next few weeks.
Hence, as long as Australia manage to win the so-called easy matches, as well as beat Pakistan and England, they should technically do enough to book a berth in the 2023 World Cup semi-finals.