After a slow start, Australia has qualified for the World Cup semi-finals for a third consecutive time.
Pat Cummins’ men have registered seven consecutive wins in India, with several players in red-hot form ahead of Thursday’s must-win semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata.
However, question marks still linger throughout Australia’s starting XI ahead of the knockouts, most notably Marcus Stoinis’ batting and Mitchell Starc’s bowling.
Australia will next face South Africa in the second semi-final at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Thursday, with the first ball scheduled for 7.30pm AEDT.
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ICC suspends Sri Lanka’s membership | 00:37
DAVID WARNER — 9
499 runs at 55.44, SR 105.49, HS 163
Warner is on the verge of becoming just the second cricketer to score 500+ runs in multiple World Cups alongside the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
The veteran opener clobbered back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan and Netherlands, falling agonisingly short of becoming the first Australian to score three consecutive ODI centuries after scoring 81 against New Zealand in Dharamsala.
The 37-year-old’s catching has also been superb throughout the tournament, notably during Australia’s five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Lucknow.
Should this have been out? | 00:38
TRAVIS HEAD — 7
130 runs at 32.50, SR 144.44, HS 109
Zero wickets, ER 5.42
Head missed the first half of the tournament with a wrist injury, but it was worth the wait.
The left-hander smacked a 59-ball century on World Cup debut against New Zealand in Dharamshala, clearing the boundary rope seven times to all but secure Australia’s spot in the semi-finals.
However, the South Australian has since failed to survive beyond the Powerplay, registering scores of 11, 0 and 10 in his following three knocks.
MITCHELL MARSH — 9
426 runs at 60.85, SR 109.51, HS 177*
Two wickets at 45.50, ER 8.27, BB 2-19
Marsh’s World Cup campaign started horrifically, departing for a duck and dropping a decisive catch in the tournament opener against hosts India in Chennai.
However, the West Australian has hardly put a foot wrong since, plundering hundreds against Pakistan and Bangladesh while notching a crucial fifty against Sri Lanka in Lucknow.
He dedicated Saturday’s career-best 177 not out in Pune to his late grandfather Ross, who passed away in Perth last month.
Marsh 177* powers Aussies to record win | 03:59
STEVE SMITH — 5
268 runs at 38.28, SR 88.74, HS 71
It’s been an unusually quiet five weeks for Smith, who has rarely offered a glimpse of his white-ball prowess throughout the tournament.
The New South Welshman has passed fifty just twice in eight knocks, against the Netherlands and Bangladesh, while the right-hander’s susceptibility to spin has been hard to ignore.
However, Smith looked in vintage touch during Saturday’s eight-wicket win in Pune, a reassuring sight for Australian cricket fans.
Smith aghast by mindboggling DRS call | 01:42
MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE — 5
286 runs at 35.75, SR 77.08, HS 71
In what’s been a high-scoring tournament, Labuschagne’s middling strike rate is a glaring concern.
The Queenslander’s role has been an anchor in the middle order, but pundits have understandably questioned whether there’s room for him and Smith in the starting XI.
However, classy fifties against the Netherlands and England, along with his superb fielding against Bangladesh and DRS masterstroke in Ahmedabad, should be enough for Labuschagne to keep his spot in the starting XI for the semi-finals.
Run-out NIGHTMARE for Bangladesh | 00:42
JOSH INGLIS — 4
131 runs at 18.71, SR 110.08, HS 85
Seven catches, two stumpings
Parachuted into the starting XI after one match, Inglis validated his selection with a gritty half-century against Sri Lanka in Lucknow.
The West Australian’s glovework has been tidy, while his late cameo during the five-run win over New Zealand in Dharamsala proved decisive.
However, after passing 15 just once in his five most recent knocks, Inglis’ spot in the team will come under scrutiny if he doesn’t contribute during the knockouts.
‘Straight one’ leaves Inglis FLUMMOXED | 00:35
ALEX CAREY — 2
Zero runs at 0.00, HS 0
Zero catches
Carey was controversially dropped after Australia’s tournament opener against India, where he was trapped on the pads by spinner Ravindra Jadeja for a duck.
After losing his spot to fellow gloveman Josh Inglis, the South Australian has carried the drinks in eight games since.
He may have played his last ODI for Australia.
GLENN MAXWELL — 10
397 runs at 79.40, SR 152.69, HS 201*
Five wickets at 52.00, ER 4.95, BB 2-34
The Big Show hasn’t had a perfect tournament, but he deserved a perfect score regardless.
After starting his campaign with a string of failures with the bat, the Victorian clobbered the fastest hundred in World Cup history against the Netherlands before rescuing the Australians with a heroic double-century against Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, he remains the only Australian to concede less than five runs per over throughout the series, with his part-time off-spin proving valuable in the middle overs.
Maxwell’s lone mistake over the past couple of weeks was hopping onto the back of a moving golf cart in the dark.
MARCUS STOINIS — 4
87 runs at 21.75, SR 112.98, HS 35
Four wickets at 35.75, ER 7.52, BB 2-40
Stoinis is at risk of losing his spot in the starting XI after an underwhelming campaign with bat and ball.
Apart from a rapid 35 against England in Ahmedabad, the West Australian is yet to make a notable contribution with the bat, while his bowling has been expensive — and that’s without mentioning his horrific dropped catch against South Africa.
However, Stoinis’ two-wicket haul against Pakistan in Bengaluru showed he’s capable of creating vital breakthroughs in the middle overs.
Stoinis’ gun show after double blow | 00:50
CAMERON GREEN — 3
63 runs at 21.00, SR 75.90, HS 47
Zero wickets, ER 5.50
Apart from his classy knock against England in Ahmedabad, Green has been far from his best throughout the World Cup.
The West Australian, who last week confessed he’s no longer in the first-choice ODI XI, has rarely been given an opportunity with the ball, while he sluggish strike rate has been a talking point.
The 24-year-old has seemingly been battling fatigue after a relentless ten months on the road.
SEAN ABBOTT — 6
Two wickets at 30.50, ER 6.10, BB 2-61
After carrying drinks throughout the early stages of the tournament, Abbott was given an opportunity to prove his worth during Saturday’s eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in Pune.
The New South Welshman’s opening spell was pretty ordinary, but the seamer redeemed himself with some superb death bowling.
Barring injury, it will probably be his only appearance in the World Cup.
Abbott lands special maiden WC wicket | 00:28
PAT CUMMINS — 6
Ten wickets at 43.00, ER 6.15, BB 2-32
114 runs at 28.50, SR 72.61, HS 37
Cummins’ bowling and captaincy have improved with every match in the World Cup, while his slower balls and cutters have proven effective on India’s dry wickets.
His batting has also been pivotal to Australia’s success in the tournament, most notably his rapid cameo against New Zealand and his unbeaten 202-run partnership with Glenn Maxwell against Afghanistan in Mumbai.
However, Cummins is yet to take a wicket during the Powerplay in the series.
MITCHELL STARC — 4
Ten wickets at 43.90, ER 6.55, BB 2-43
Starc is arguably Australia’s greatest World Cup bowler in history, but he’s failed to live up to expectations in India over the past five weeks.
The left-armer has been worryingly inaccurate with the new ball during the Powerplay, while his death bowling was exposed during the five-run win over New Zealand.
Apart from dramatic opening spells against India and England, the 33-year-old hasn’t had much to celebrate throughout the tournament.
Starc breaks deadlock with BRUTAL yorker | 00:41
JOSH HAZLEWOOD — 7
12 wickets at 31.41, ER 5.01, BB 3-38
As expected, the Bendemeer Bullet has been a metronome with the white ball in India, conceding just over five runs per over in a high-scoring tournament.
Hazlewood’s been Australia’s most reliable pace bowler throughout the campaign, producing tight spells in victories over Afghanistan and England.
But after starting the World Cup with two wickets in his opening over against India, he hasn’t created many breakthroughs during the Powerplay, which has proven frustrating for the Australians.
ADAM ZAMPA — 9
22 wickets at 18.90, ER 5.26, BB 4-8
What a dramatic turnaround.
Zampa started his World Cup with a couple of lacklustre performances against India and South Africa before a woeful opening spell against Sri Lanka in Lucknow — but he’s hardly bowled a poor delivery since.
The leg-spinner snared three consecutive four-wicket hauls to revive the team’s campaign, eventually leapfrogging Brad Hogg’s record for most wickets by an Australian spinner in a Men’s World Cup.
That’s all without mentioning his late cameo with the bat and outfield catch against England in Ahmedabad.
Zampa bags four wickets in 9-ball burst | 01:54