Group 1 is poised very nicely after Australia’s win over Ireland on Monday. With that victory, Australia is now 2nd in the group with 5 points from 4 matches. Group-toppers New Zealand also has the same number of points but has played a match less.
England, who have 3 points from 3 matches, face the Kiwis in a crucial match at the Gabba, Brisbane, on Tuesday, and their fate will hinge on its outcome. In this article, we are going to try to analyse which teams might qualify for the semifinal from this group:
New Zealand remains the favourite to top the group:
New Zealand has been the most impressive team in the tournament, along with South Africa, and remains the favourite to top the group. They will automatically finish on top if they win their two remaining matches against England and Ireland, respectively.
Even if they lose one of those matches, they still might finish on top because of their superior net run rate, which was bolstered by their emphatic wins over Australia and Sri Lanka in the opening match of Super 12.
New Zealand has had two centurions so far in the form of Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips and has proven new-ball bowlers like Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who have repeatedly made inroads to the top order of their opponents. Add to that the spin-bowling pair of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner and reliable batters like Darryl Mitchell and Finn Allen, and one has a very balanced side. However, Skipper Kane Williamson’s form is a concern for the Kiwis, and their subsequent opponents will hope that it stays that way.
Australia is likely to consolidate its position further:
Australia has improved their position greatly with their convincing win over Ireland and is likely to bolster their net run rate further in their match against Afghanistan. The Australians will be happy with skipper Aaron Finch’s return to form and also the fact that their pacers, as well as Adam Zampa, are among the wickets.
However, the Aussies will seriously hope that veteran David Warner starts firing from the next match. They will be almost sure of a semifinal berth should New Zealand beat England on Tuesday, but a reverse result will make things a lot more complicated. Still, as of now, Australia remains the second favourite to reach the semifinal from this group.
