The fourth week of the 2023 World Cup is behind us. After four weeks, South Africa were on the top of the points table, with 12 points from seven matches, while hosts India were second with 12 points from six games, remaining unbeaten again. Australia were steady at third with eight points, extending their winning run to four consecutive matches. New Zealand slipped to fourth. They have now lost three games in a row after beginning with four consecutive wins. Pakistan moved up to fifth spot with a crucial seven-wicket win over Bangladesh.
Looking at the second half of the points table, Afghanistan remain in the hunt for a top-four finish, with six points from six games. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands were on four points each, while Bangladesh became the first team to be knocked out after losing to the Netherlands. England remain last after another luckless week. Here is the World Cup XI for week four.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Travis Head
Indian captain Rohit Sharma would lead the World Cup team of week four. The Indian captain played a fine knock of 87 off 101 balls against England in Lucknow. On a challenging batting surface, he held the innings together after the early loss of wickets put India in trouble.
Quinton de Kock scored another hundred in week four, but we went for Travis Head as Rohit’s opening partner. The Aussie made a brilliant comeback from injury, smashing 109 off only 67 balls against New Zealand in Dharamsala. His innings put the Kiwis on the back foot from the word go.
Middle order: Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Scott Edwards (wk)
Fakhar Zaman made a stupendous comeback after being dropped from the playing XI due to poor form. He scored a crucial 81 off 74 balls against Bangladesh in Kolkata, which helped Pakistan register a significant win.
South African batter Rassie van der Dussen hammered a brilliant 133 off 118 balls in the match against New Zealand in Pune. The innings featured nine fours and five sixes as the Proteas posted 357/4.
There were many big knocks in the 2023 World Cup in week four, but Netherlands’ captain and keeper-batter Scott Edwards found a place for his defiant half-century in their triumph over Bangladesh. With this team in trouble, Edwards anchored the innings with 68 off 89 balls, which went a long way in Netherlands victory.
All-rounders: Glenn Phillips, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen
This was the week of all-rounders in the 2023 World Cup. Three of them thus feature in the XI of week four. Glenn Phillips picked up 3/37 in New Zealand’s clash against Australia in Dharamsala. He also scored a defiant 60 in the big loss to South Africa.
Azmatullah Omarzai came up with a wonderful all-round effort in the win over Sri Lanka in Pune. He first picked up the big wicket of in-form opener Pathum Nissanka and then hammered an unbeaten 73 off 63 in the chase of 242.
Proteas all-rounder Marco Jansen scored a handy 20 against Pakistan and then claimed 3/43. Against New Zealand, he picked up another three-wicket haul. Jansen had 16 wickets to his name from seven games after week four.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Mohammed Shami, Tabraiz Shamsi
Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi makes the team of the week after lifting himself following a middling start to the tournament. The pacer picked up 3/45 against South Africa and followed it up with 3/23 versus Bangladesh.
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami had another exceptional game. He followed up his five-for against New Zealand with 4/22 against England as India successfully defended a total of 229. India have been even more lethal in bowling with Shami’s addition.
Proteas left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi starred with 4/60 and was Player of the Match as South Africa registered a close one-wicket win over Pakistan. Shamsi got the big wickets of Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel.