Uncertain to unbeaten: India’s fantastical campaign
Mark Twain, sometimes reality is stranger than fantasy because fantasy is limited by one’s imagination; reality isn’t.
India’s World Cup campaign is a wonderful example. Not even in anybody’s wildest fantasy would India have won 10 out of 10 matches, like the way Rohit Sharma’s blue brigade has done.
Who would have thought that India would go on to beat every team: defending champions England, champions of champions Australia, run-machine South Africa, bigger-than-the sum-of-their-parts and their conquerors in the last edition New Zealand (twice), most-important-team-to-beat Pakistan, favourite opposition Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while also avoiding any possible upsets against Afghanistan and Netherlands.
But, it’s a reality now.
India’s batsmen have piled on runs as if they were playing against ‘B’ teams.
Three out of seven batsmen with more than 500 runs in this World Cup are Indians – Virat Kohli (711), Rohit Sharma (550), Shreyas Iyer (526). As a batting unit, India have scored most runs (2810) in the tournament, have the highest average (58.54), the highest strike rate (104.65), most fifty-plus scores (23), and hit the second most boundaries (354).
Their bowlers have overshadowed even the batsmen in terms of domination.
Two of the top five wicket takers are Indians – Mohammed Shami (23) and Jasprit Bumrah (18). Their bowling unit has bowled the least number of overs among the semifinalists (420.4), bowled the most maidens (23), conceded the least runs (1986), taken the most wickets (95), the best average (20.90), the best economy rate (4.72), the best strike rate (26.5), the most five-wicket hauls (4) and the best bowling figures (7-57).
With many individual streams of brilliance coming together, this Indian
