World Cup 2019: SWOT Analysis, X-Factors and Strongest XI of the Semi-Finalists

The World Cup has entered into the knockout phase, with four teams left to battle it out among themselves for the most coveted silverware of cricket.

India, Australia, England and New Zealand have advanced to the semi-finals on the back of some excellent brand of cricket played by the sides.

The first semi-final shall be taking place between India and New Zealand at Manchester, whereas eternal rivals Australia and England shall lock horns in the second semi final at Birmingham.

The teams have had a phenomenal run in the league season, backed by some standout performances and opportunities capitalised by them.

At the same time, there have been certain weak areas in each team, which were exploited by the oppositions due to which no team is unbeaten.

Let's have a look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, along with the key players, X-Factors and strongest XI of the semi-finalists:

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#4 New Zealand

A lot will deped of Williamson

Strengths- The formidable batting of Kane Williamson and the three-pronged pace attack form the strengths of New Zealand.

The Kiwis captain has been in scintillating touch in the tournament, having scored 481 runs in seven innings, including two centuries. His runs have always come in tough situations for the team, which adds more value to his achievement. Further, the pace attack comprising of Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry has posed many challenges for the batsmen, with 42 wickets amongst them.

Weaknesses- The form of the openers and the middle order has been a matter of concern for the Kiwis. Martin Guptill has failed to emulate his feats of the 2015 World Cup, while vice-captain Tom Latham has scored just 98 runs in seven innings, out of which 57 came in the last game.

This has been mounting pressure on Williamson and the lower middle order batsmen, forcing them to take risks.

Opportunities- New Zealand has a plethora of all-rounders, who are disparate in their approach to the game. Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham, and Mitchell Santner can come handy in the face of any pressure exerted by the opposition, irrespective of the department. They provide great balance and versatility to the side, and come add to the options in the hands of the captain with the bat as well as the ball.

Threats- New Zealand batsmen, other than Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, are susceptible to spin. This technical weakness was hugely exploited by the Indian wrist spinners while touring the side in early 2019, and would look to emulate the feat once again at Manchester.

Further, they have not posed a serious challenge in front of any big side while chasing. The hopes have largely been dependent on the shoulders of Williamson, and to an extent de Grandhomme, the runs have failed to come.

They lost their last two games with hefty margins while chasing, and were also given a run for their money by Bangladesh in the initial stages of the tournament.

Key Players- Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner

X-Factor- Colin de Grandhomme

Strongest XI- Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson.

#3 England

The form of the top order and the finishers has been a positive sight for the hosts in this World Cup

Strengths- The form of the top order and the finishers has been a positive sight for the hosts in this World Cup. While Joe Root has scored 500 runs in this tournament, Jonny Bairstow has also made an impact with 462 runs, including centuries in the last two must-win games.

Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler have also made their contributions count, giving the team the advantage of some extra runs to exert pressure on the opposition.

Weaknesses- The form Adil Rashid has been a cause of concern for England. While he has been preference over Moeen Ali, Rashid has picked only eight scalps in nine matches, and has also proven to be expensive, with an economy near to 6 runs per over.

While his overs have been accommodated by skipper Eoin Morgan due to the variety in the team, the contribution of a spinner can be found wanting in the middle overs.

Opportunities- The biggest benefit that England have is the home advantage and the experience of the conditions. Further, they have a good record at Edgbaston, the venue of their semi final, Birmingham and Lord's, the venue of the final (should they qualify).

Further, they have the most versatile squad in the tournament, with batting depth, all-rounders and part timers.

Threats- England have been vulnerable while chasing in this tournament. All their losses have come while batting second, with two coming against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the hosts failing to chase 233 against the latter.

Further, their has been a lack of consistency, with no individual player apart from Jofra Archer being a consistent performer.

Though Joe Root did have a cracking start to the tournament, he has not scored big of late. The team has been finding individual heroes in every game, but there is no certainty as to who would step up on the given day.

Key Players- Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jos Buttler

X-Factor- Jofra Archer

Strongest XI- Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid.

#2 Australia

Openers Aaron Finch and David Warner have built good starts and capitalised on them, with five centuries between them

Strengths- The Australian top order has been in great touch, essaying majority of the wins. Openers Aaron Finch and David Warner have built good starts and capitalised on them, with five centuries between them.

The pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins has also done wonders for the defending champions, with Starc being the highest wicket taker with 26 scalps.

Weaknesses- No Australian spinner has been able to make an impact at the World Cup. Adam Zampa's leg spin has failed to click, while Lyon has also not managed to be that effective.

This has forced captain Finch to distribute the load of the spinners amongst himself, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell.

Opportunities- Pace bowling has been the most important weapon in the arsenal of any side in this tournament. Most of the batsmen among the other three teams have been dismissed by seamers. In such a case, Australia holds the ability to unsettle any opposition with its three-pronged pace attack.

Threats- Australia has failed to find a bankable sixth bowler, should a main-time bowler have a bad day. While the presence of a number of options make the task easier for Finch, this could be a peril in case of an all out attack by an opposition.

Further, Australia has not been as dominant and ruthless as it used to be in the previous decade. Teams such as Pakistan and Bangladesh gave them a run for their money, while an underwhelming South African side got the better of them in the last league game.

Key Players- David Warner, Aaron Finch, Mitchell Starc

X-Factor- Marcus Stoinis

Strongest XI- David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon.

#1 India

The finishing woes for India have continued to persist, as the team has been unable to unleash itself in the slog overs

Strengths- The Indian top order renders solidarity to India's claim of being a batting powerhouse. While Rohit Sharma has been in the form of his life, with 647 runs in eight innings, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have complemented him really well.

All the Indian bowlers have been in magnificent touch, having their names in the share of wickets. Jasprit Bumrah has been particularly impressive, with his initial spell and accurate yorkers in the death overs.

Weaknesses- The finishing woes for India have continued to persist, as the team has been unable to unleash itself in the slog overs.

With the promotion of Hardik Panyda, the onus of finishing has been on MS Dhoni. India has witnessed a mini collapse towards the slog overs, which forces Dhoni to adopt a cautious approach. This trend has been troubling India for quite some time now.

Opportunities- The batsmen of all the other semi-finalists are mediocre players of spin, with the exception of a few.

This enabled India to achieve success when it toured those nations. With two quality spinners up in their ranks, India has the ability to run through the batting order of any opposition in the middle overs.

Threats- India has been short of a sixth bowler all through the tournament. In the last few matches, captain Virat Kohli has fielded five full-time bowlers. Even in the presence of the likes of Kedar Jadhav and Vijay Shankar, Kohli was reluctant on using them.

This is something which cost the team dearly in the clash against England. This shortcoming can be explored by the opposition by targeting any one bowler and reaping the benefits by adding to the pressure.

Key Players- Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah

X-Factor- Hardik Pandya

Strongest XI- Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni(wk), Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah