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What are the key stats ahead of Australia’s World Cup semi-final clash with India in Sydney tomorrow? I’ve pored through the record books to pluck out the ones which could shape this contest.
53 – The combined batting average of India’s top six at this World Cup.
Leading into this tournament, there was concern that India would rely too heavily on batting stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina both looked out of touch in the tri-series against Australia and England. That pair have rebounded supremely, while MS Dhoni has been his typically reliable self, and Kohli and Sharma have lived up to their massive reputations.
Only Ajinkya Rahane has laboured among the Indian top six and even still he scored a crucial 79 in their rousing win over South Africa. India’s batting line-up scarcely could be better prepared to face Australia’s intimidating attack.
27 – Australia’s average opening partnership for the tournament.
India’s in-form pacemen must be eager to get a crack at Australia’s opening pair, David Warner and Aaron Finch, both of whom have made one big score and nothing else this World Cup. Their best partnership has been 57 in Australia’s opening match against England.
Australia would desperately love to get an opening stand even of that middling nature to try to stem the momentum of India’s confident bowling attack. If Warner and Finch can lay a solid platform then Australia’s dynamic middle-to-lower order may just destroy India.
119 – The average strike rate of Australia’s top eight during this World Cup.
India’s batting line-up is famously potent but even they cannot match the overwhelming power of the Australian top eight. Michael Clarke and Steve Smith are the touch players within that group, although Smith also has proved capable of unleashing with the blade.
Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson, David Warner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin and James Faulkner all are capable of racing to fifty in 30 balls or less, swiftly changing the complexion of the match in the process.
27 – The total amount of balls faced by Australia’s four pacemen this tournament.
The depth of Australia’s batting is unrivalled. Mitchell Starc at ten has a batting average of 23 in ODIs and boasts a Test best of 99, on a spinning deck in India no less.
Australia’s top six have had a fine World Cup but the unfortunate byproduct is that James Faulkner, Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood have had next to no time in the middle, with a combined 27 balls faced across the whole tournament.
If Australia’s top six doesn’t do the job against India, their much-vaunted lower order will be coming to the crease awfully short of match batting practice.
4.6 – The economy rate of India’s five main bowlers.
In the lead up to this tournament, I and many other cricket followers believed India’s attack would be a weakness in Australian conditions. The Indian pacemen had floundered during the one-sided Test series against Australia and fared little better in the following tri-series. Their spinners, meanwhile, were not expected to be potent given the rock hard state of the Australian pitches and new fielding restrictions which hinder slow bowlers.
How wrong we were.
The Indian bowlers have been superb and a major reason for their success has been stifling accuracy. Both their quicks and their tweakers have proved extremely frugal, forcing opposition batsmen to take risks in an effort to hoist the run rate.
2 – The number of wickets taken by any Indian bowler other than the five core members of their attack.
Unlike Australia, who have chopped and changed their bowling line-up, India have a stable attack. Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohit Sharma together have taken 63 of India’s 65 wickets for the tournament.
By comparison, Australia’s wickets have been spread across nine different bowlers and their fourth bowling spot was rotated in every match prior to the final: Hazlewood made for Cummins who made way for Hazlewood who made way for Doherty who made way for Cummins who made way for Hazlewood.
63 – Australia’s winning percentage when batting first in ODIs against India over the past five years.
While the World Cup co-hosts are also an assured chasing side, they have a significant mental edge over India when they bat first. Not only have they consistently made large totals against India when offered first use of the pitch, but they’ve also shown an ability to place India’s elite batting line-up under significant pressure with canny bowling when defending.
The value of batting first has spiked during this World Cup and if Australia win the toss it will be a particularly large mental hurdle for India to clear.