Hyderabad: The 12th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup was hosted by England. The tournament kicked off on May 30 with a match between hosts England and South Africa. The Three Lions defeated the Proteas by 104 runs on their way to glory, their first World Cup victory in ODI cricket history.
This time 10 teams participated in the tournament, a decrease from 14 teams that played World Cup Down Under in 2015. It was an all-play-all tournament with top four teams advancing to the semifinals.
After yet another brilliant performance, India couldn't surpass the semifinal hurdle. For the second consecutive times, they failed to qualify for the final. In 2015 World Cup, it was the champions Australia who thrashed India in the semifinal and four years later it was last edition's runners-up New Zealand who defeated India by 18 runs to seal their place in the World Cup final for the second successive times.
Let's look back at how Team India performed in the 2019 World Cup under Virat Kohli's captaincy!
India vs South Africa, 1st Match
Talking point: India's campaign in the 2019 World Cup started a week late. They were pitted against South Africa in the opening match on June 5 at Southampton and they registered a thumping 6-wicket win over the Proteas. On a spin-friendly track, Yuzvendra Chahal bamboozled four South Africa batsmen to restrict them to 227 for 9 in 50 overs.
India, in reply, notched a comfortable victory riding on Rohit Sharma's 122 not out. The Men in Blue lost just four wickets and chased down the target with 15 balls to spare.
Result: India won by 6 wickets
India vs Australia, 2nd Match
Talking point: In their second match in the mega event, India took on defending champions Australia at The Oval on June 9. Captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. Opener Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma provided India with a superb start scoring 127 runs from the opening wicket. Dhawan went on to play a 117-run knock while Rohit scored 57.
Captain Kohli played a superb 82 runs knock off 77 balls. In the final overs, Hardik Pandya's 27-ball 48 cameo helped India set a massive 353 runs target for Australia.
Australia, in reply, got off to a good start from David Warner and captain Aaron Finch, but they crumbled under pressure. Finally, they were bowled out for 316 as India won the match 36 runs.
But India suffered a big blow in the match as opener Dhawan sustained a thumb fracture that ruled him out of the World Cup.
Result: India won by 36 runs
India vs New Zealand, 3rd Match
Talking point: After two back to back victories India were supposed to take on New Zealand in Nottingham on June 13. It was a much-anticipated match since the Black Caps trounced India in warm-up matches before the World Cup. But putting waters into all speculation rain washed away the match with points shared by both teams.
Result: Match abandoned due to rain
India vs Pakistan, 4th Match
Talking point: In a high-octane clash, India took on archrivals Pakistan in their fourth outing in the 2019 World Cup in Manchester on June 16. Batting first India scored 336 for 5 in 50 overs. With Dhawan returned home, KL Rahul replaced him in the team and opened the innings with Rohit Sharma. The opening duo built 136 runs partnership. Rohit Sharma scored 140, his second ton of the World Cup. KL Rahul got out scoring 57.
Pakistan, in reply, lost wickets in regular interval. Rain also halted their tempo. They managed to score 212 runs losing 6 wickets. India defeated Pakistan by 89 runs (DLS method) in the World Cup for the record seventh time.
Rohit Sharma won Man of the Match award.
Result: India won by 89 runs (DLS method)
India vs Afghanistan, 5th Match
Talking point: Afghanistan was the dark horse of the World Cup. Justifying the tag, they gifted fans a thrilling encounter in a match against India. Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bat first on a rank turner. Afghan spin bowling trio of Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled tight spells and restricted India to paltry 224 for 8 in 50 overs. Kohli, who was looking fluent, scored 67 off 63 balls. His untimely dismissal chocked the Indian innings.
In response, India bowlers gave the Afghans a befitting reply. But they kept fighting and took the match on the edge of final overs. The match was on balance. At this juncture, Mohammed Shami bowled a thrilling last over and notched up a hat-trick that helped India took the match away from Afghanistan.
Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged Man of the Match for taking 2 wickets for 39 runs.
Result: India won by 11 runs
India vs West Indies, 6th Match
Talking point: Indian bowlers put up yet another outstanding performance in the tournament. This time the opponent was West Indies. India batting first posted a modest 268 for 7.
In reply, Indian bowlers routed West Indies batting line up bowling them out for just 143. Shami once again produced an unplayable spell picking up 4 wickets in 6.2 overs in the expense of just 16 runs. Bumrah and Chahal scalped two wickets each as India won the match by a massive 125-run margin.
Result: India won by 125 runs
India vs England, 7th Match
Talking point: On June 30, hosts England and India confronted each other at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Batting first England posted 337 for 7. Indian bowlers were battered by Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes. It was the first real test for the Indian bowlers and they failed to recover from the onslaught launched by England's opener pair of Roy and Bairstow. The duo put on 160 runs from the first wicket partnership. Bairstow slammed 111 while Roy scored 66. Later Stokes played a 54-ball 79 runs knock.
In reply, Rohit Sharma scored 102 while Kohli played 66 runs knock. But their efforts went in vain as Indian middle-order failed to rotate the strike, as a result, India fell short of 31 runs at the end of 50 overs. India scored 316 for 5.
Bairstow won the Man of the Match award.
Result: England won by 31 runs
India vs Bangladesh, 8th Match
Talking point: After the defeat against England, India bounced back in the 2019 World Cup with a win against Bangladesh to seal their place in the semifinals. Opening duo Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul shared a record 180 runs partnership. Rohit Sharma hit his 5th ton of the World Cup and equalled Sachin's record of 6 World Cup hundreds. KL Rahul scored 77. Later Rishabh Pant's 41-ball 48 helped India set 315 runs target for Bangladesh. Mustafizur Rahman scalped a fifer.
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya bowled brilliantly to bowl Bangladesh out for 286. Bumrah took 4 wickets while Pandya scalped 3.
With this win, India set their semifinal clash against New Zealand.
Result: India won by 28 runs
India vs New Zealand, 1st Semifinal
Talking point: In the first semifinal of 2019 World Cup, India and New Zealand faced each other at the Old Trafford stadium, Manchester on July 9. New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first on a wet wicket. On the match day, New Zealand's innings was interrupted by rain when they were batting on 211 for 5 in the 46.1 overs. As the rain didn't stop, the match was carried on to the reserve day. At the end of 50 overs, New Zealand scored 239 for 8. Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson scored 74 and 67 respectively.
In reply, India got off to a disastrous start as New Zealand reduced them to 3 for 5 in the fourth over. In the 10th over, India were four down for just 24 runs. Matt Henry removed both Rohit and Rahul while Boult got the prized scalp of Kohli.
India continued to struggle. Hardik Pandya (32) and Rishabh Pant (32) tried to salvage the Indian innings but succumbed to pressure.
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja then built a 116-run partnership to bring India back in the game. Dhoni played a 72-ball 50 runs knock. But it was Ravindra Jadeja who resurrected the Indian innings playing 59-ball 72 runs knock. However, his dismissal in the 48th over dashed India's hope as they succumbed to an 18-run defeat and exited from the World Cup for the second consecutive times from semifinal stage.
Result: India lost by 18 runs
The final
In the second semifinal, England thumped Australia by 8 wickets and set the summit clash against New Zealand which was scheduled for July 14 at the Lord's. It was a roller-coaster final as both teams tied on score 241 at the end of 50 overs.
But on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena's decision to award England six runs from an overthrow in the last over changed the course of the match.
A freakish throw to the stumps deflected off the bat of Ben Stokes as he tried to complete the second run and it went to the boundary with Dharmasena awarding six runs to England. This decision went in England's favour as three balls later, the scores at 50 overs were tied as England had reached 241 all-out replying to New Zealand's 241-8.
Super Over too couldn't separate two teams as both teams scored 15 runs off 6 balls. However, England were farcically announced champions on the basis of boundary count.
Dharmasena later admitted his mistake and ICC, under fire, scrapped the boundary count rule from its rule book. But, New Zealand's dream of winning their maiden World Cup fell prey to the weird rule.
