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Chidanand Rajghatta
EDGBASTON, May 30: Three wins in a row, five more to go. That's the storyline for India if it is to live up to the fairytale script of winning the World Cup.
By defeating England, India moved into the Super Six stage of the World Cup today. But it did so with zero points, because it lost the games against two other qualifying teams from the group -- South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Although it led the group, South Africa go into the Super Six with just two points (because it beat India and lost to Zimbabwe), while Zimbabwe go to the Super Six with four points (having beaten both India and South Africa).
Now in the Super Six, each team plays the three other qualifying team from the opposite group with these points in the kitty. The top four qualify for the semi-final.
So Zimbabwe, with four points already in hand, could well qualify for the semi-final with a solitary win in the Super Six stage. India, on the other hand, may have to win all three Super Six games to qualify for the semi-final.
The new formatof the World Cup is designed in such a way that teams have to perform consistently against every other team to reach the semi-final. Teams which gather points against weaker opponents while losing to stronger ones will be short of points at the Super Six stage. India has done well to recover from its initial back-to-back losses against South Africa and Zimbabwe. And its strong showing against Kenya and Sri Lanka boosted its run rate to push it to second place. But it will still need to prove that it can beat the best teams in Group B to reach the semi-final. India will quite likely meet New Zealand (or Australia) at the Oval in London on June 4, assuming New Zealand beat Scotland by enough margin to put West Indies out of the tournament. India will then meet Pakistan at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 8, and Australia (or New Zealand) at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on June 12.
Australia will be in the same boat as India, having qualified with no points because it lost to both Pakistan and New Zealand, thetwo other qualifiers in that group. It will have to win all three Super Six games to make it to the semi-finals. Pakistan, with four qualifying points, can probably reach the semi-final with just one win. West Indies and Sri Lanka, super powers of cricket not so long ago, go home. England, knocked out of the competition by India, will watch from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, with India having qualified for the Super Six, a clash with Pakistan, another qualifier, is inevitable. And that has tournament organisers a wee bit worried. Both India and Pakistan have had vociferous support in their league matches from the expatriates.
There have been spectator invasions much to the dismay of players and officials. Today for instance, Venkatesh Prasad could not find his way back to the pavilion with the exuberant Indian supporters mobbing him and carrying him on their shoulders after India's win against England.
An Indo-Pakistan clash is bound to attract thousands and thousands of respective supporters. Theorganisers are already concerned about the possibility of things getting out of hand in the stands, particularly in view of the heightened tensions over the Kargil situation.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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