ICC World Cup 2023 | Four Indians headline Cricket Australia's team of tournament
Cricket.com.au on Monday released their best XI of the ongoing World Cup so far following the conclusion of the round-robin phase. The side, skippered by Virat Kohli, only included players from the semi-finalists and featured four Indians, three Australians, as many Proteas, and a solitary Kiwi.
The two opening slots belonged to retirement-bound Quinton de Kock and World Cup great David Warner who stand second and fifth in the run-scorers chart with 591 and 499 runs respectively ahead of their semi-final clash at Eden Gardens on Thursday. Quinton registered four tons in nine league games and is just one short of Rohit Sharma's record of most centuries in a World Cup while Warner's back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan and Netherlands have also left him a ton away from equalling the Indian's all-time World Cup record.
Rachin Ravindra spearheads the middle order at number three following a breakthrough tournament that has seen the 23-year-old accumulate three centuries and a run-tally of 565. The Black Cap only trails de Kock and Virat Kohli for runs, with the latter slotting in at number four with 594 runs at an average of 99 including two centuries, the latter of which saw him equal Sachin Tendulkar's ODI record of 49 tons. The former Indian skipper is succeeded by Aiden Markram in the line-up who has enjoyed a consistent tournament with three fifties and a 49-ball century that set the record for the fastest ton in World Cup history. However, the mark was soon breached by the number six in the team Glenn Maxwell after he went nine balls better against the Netherlands before leading the Oz to an improbable win against Afghanistan with a double ton that is set to go down in ODI folklore.
Two bowling all-rounders in Marco Jansen and Ravindra Jadeja cap off the middle-order, the former proving to be lethal with the new ball by scalping 12 wickets in the powerplay itself while the latter's middle-overs discipline has earned him 16 wickets at an economy of 3.96.
The specialist pace attack is an all-Indian combination of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami who have been key in ensuring India's perfect league stage campaign. Bumrah's economy of 3.65 is the best in the World Cup, a figure that drops down to a ridiculous 2.95 in the powerplay, and is well-aided by 17 wickets in the tournament. Shami, meanwhile, started the tournament on the bench but following Hardik Pandya's injury has struck every 12 balls at an average of 9.56, racing away to 16 wickets in just five games to cement himself as a World Cup legend. Adam Zampa has been designated as the team's wrist-spinner, currently leading the charts with 22 scalps including best figures of 4/8 against Netherlands, despite starting off the World Cup with a solitary wicket in two encounters.
Cricket Australia's World Cup XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), David Warner, Rachin Ravindra, Virat Kohli (c), Aiden Markram, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Glenn Maxwell, Jasprit Bumrah
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