Will Labuschagne be able to participate in the WC?
When Marnus Labuschagne took the field at 73-5 during the first ODI in Bloemfontein earlier this month, he was only serving as a concussion replacement and was not part of Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad. The
93-ball-80, which led to a three-wicket win, helped him prepare for a tournament in which Australia have been successful more often than any other team. In South Africa, he was the best player in the series, scoring 96 runs. In only five matches has he hit the fence more often (34 fours and two sixes) than in the previous 22 innings (31 and two). Whether he can get the selectors to extend his stay in India depends on his next three matches.
Warner meets Ashwin
With David Warner set to retire from Test cricket before the New Year and Ravi Ashwin no longer involved in ODIs before the sudden withdrawal from tournaments.At the start of the job over this series, it was believed that their twins would never meet again. But they will meet again in this series, and possibly at the World Cup, for the last time.
Whenever Ashwin has played, Warner has averaged 21.81 in Tests and 22 in ODIs. In the last three ODIs against India involving Ashwin, the off-spinner has beaten him twice. In Tests, Warner has thrown 11 times in 32 matches. Can he finally beat the devil that has tormented him the most since Stuart Broad?
How Zampa will play in India
His first three games in India in 2017 have been unforgettable. He scored just four wickets and conceded 6.36 runs per over. But in the subsequent visits, he performed at his best and helped Australia win two of the three ODI series in India.
In the next 11 matches, he took 20 wickets at a strike rate of 25.7 and an economy rate of 5.1. Over the years, he has added a lot of variations to his arsenal and improved his control and accuracy. Нo he can still have bad days like he did in Centurion where he conceded 113 goals in 10 wickets. How he recovers from such defeats will make a huge difference to Australia’s progression to the knockout stages.
Fitness of leading pacers
At full strength, the trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins represent a lethal line-up. But their playing form is always a concern, even more so in a year when they have toured India and England for grueling Test matches.
Due to rest and injury, Cummins hasn’t played an ODI this year; Starc hasn’t played since the India tour and Hazlewood looked far from his best in South Africa, where he took part in the 50-over tournament for the first time this year, and has conceded eight runs per game in the last two matches. Experienced as they could be, they need time to rework.