3 similarities between India's 2023 and 2019 World Cup campaigns so far
India have started the 2023 World Cup with a bang, registering four wins in their first four matches. They are currently level on points with New Zealand, albeit with a slightly lower net run rate.
The performances by India have given a lot of hope and belief to fans of the Men in Blue. The last time they came close to winning the ODI World Cup was four years ago in Australia. They topped the league stage with just one loss in nine games but bowed out in the semi-finals.
The Rohit Sharma-led side have retained the core group of players that were part of the 2019 World Cup squad. Apart from that, there have been a few similarities in how the side started both tournaments.
On that note, let's take a look at three similarities between India's 2023 and 2019 World Cup campaigns so far.
#1 Rohit Sharma is in fine touch
Rohit Sharma is the leading run scorer in the ongoing World Cup. He has aggregated 265 runs in four matches, including a century against Afghanistan and a match-winning 86 against Pakistan.
Four years ago, Sharma was arguably at the peak of his powers. The Mumbai batter scored five centuries in the 2019 edition and ended the tournament with a staggering 648 runs in just nine matches.
He started the tournament in a similar fashion, scoring tons against both South Africa and Pakistan in the first four completed matches (the match against New Zealand was abandoned). The Indian opener also had a half-century against Australia in the 2019 edition.
#2 India's middle order has been untested in the 2023 World Cup
India haven't needed their late middle order to come to the party as of yet in the 2023 World Cup. This has been an area of concern in previous ICC tournaments because if the top order collapses, the late middle order has to be adept at rescuing the team.
So far, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the two top scorers in the tournament, with 250+ runs each. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have had some decent knocks to their credit. However, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja have barely gotten an opportunity to bat.
It was a similar case in the 2019 edition, with Sharma, Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, and KL Rahul scoring the bulk of the runs in the tournament. This came to haunt India when the top order collapsed against New Zealand in the semi-finals and the late middle order couldn't chase down the 240-run target.
#3 The bowling unit has been impeccable
The Men in Blue's bowling contingent has improved leaps and bounds compared to what it was in the 1990s and 2000s. They have picked up 36 out of a possible 40 wickets in their first four matches, including bowling out both Australia and Pakistan.
The 2019 edition of the quadrennial tournament had a similar story, as the Indian bowlers registered 35 wickets in the first four completed games. Australia and Afghanistan were both all out in their matches against the subcontinent side.
Jasprit Bumrah has been sensational in the ongoing tournament, with 10 wickets at an average of 13.40 and an economy rate of 3.62. He had picked up seven scalps in the first four encounters of the previous ODI World Cup. The 29-year-old pacer ended the tournament with 18 wickets, four more than any other teammate.