World Cup Semi-final Why teams prefer bat first instead of chasing due to several reasons: Recent trends in one-day cricket, including the ongoing World Cup, suggest that teams lean towards batting first and putting up substantial totals.
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World Cup Semi-final Why teams prefer bat first
Setting a Target: Batting first allows a team to set a target for their opponents. By putting up a challenging total, they can put pressure on the chasing team to surpass that score.
Control over the Game: Batting first provides a team with more control over the game. They can dictate the pace, assess the conditions, and plan their strategy accordingly.
Pressure on Opponents: Batting first puts the pressure on the opponent team to chase down the target. This pressure leads to mistakes and wickets, benefiting the team that batted first.
Pitch Conditions: Teams might want to take advantage of favorable pitch conditions in the first innings. Early in the match, the pitch may be more conducive to batting, making it easier to score runs.
Top-order batsmen score without pressure: When the team bat first, there is not so much pressure on batsmen, that advantage allows top-order batsmen to score a huge run.
Worsening pitch conditions: In some cases, teams might anticipate that the pitch could deteriorate over time, becoming more difficult to bat on. Batting first allows them to make the most of better batting conditions.
It’s worth noting that the decision to bat first or chase depends on various factors, including the team’s strengths, weaknesses, and the specific conditions of the match.
World Cup Semi-final Why teams prefer bat first
History of doing bat first
When India bat first, teams such as Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have faced substantial defeats when chasing. That indicates India’s position to enter into the knockout phase of the ICC World Cup 2023.
The current trend in one-day cricket, including the ongoing World Cup 2023, indicates a preference for teams to bat first and establish a substantial total. India’s undefeated streak in the tournament showcases their impressive form and strength, both in batting first and also in chasing the target. When batting first India won three matches out of three matches and five out of five matches won by chasing the score.
India Vs Australia, chasing 200 runs India won by 6 wickets with 52 balls remaining.
India Vs Afghanistan, chasing 273 runs, India won by 8 wickets with 90 balls left.
India Vs Pakistan, chasing 192 runs, India won by 7 wickets.
India Vs Bangladesh, chasing 257 runs, India won by 7 wickets with 51 balls left.
India Vs New Zealand, chasing 274 runs, India won by 4 wickets with 12 balls left.
India Vs England, India won by 100 runs, India scored 229/9, England 129/10.
India Vs Sri Lanka, India won by 302 runs, India scored 357/8, England 55/10.
India Vs South Africa, India won by 243 runs, India scored 326/5, England 83/10.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai History in ODI matches
The wicket at the Wankhede offers help for both the pacers and spinners.
Total matches played 33
Batting first matches won 17
Bowing first matches won 16
Average 1st innings score 248
Average 2nd innings score 199
1987 Cricket World Cup
17 October 1987 India Vs Zimbabwe India won by 8 wickets. India 136/2 (27.5 overs), Zimbabwe 135 (44.2 overs)
5 November 1987 India Vs England England won by 35 runs. England 254/6 (50 overs), India 219 (45.3 overs)
1996 Cricket World Cup
27 February 1996 India Vs Australia Australia won by 16 runs. Australia 258 (50 overs), India 242 (48 overs)
2011 Cricket World Cup
13 March 2011 New Zealand Vs Canada New Zealand won by 97 runs. New Zealand 358/6 (50 overs), Canada 261/9 (50 overs)
18 March 2011 Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand Sri Lanka won by 112 runs, Sri Lanka 265/9 (50 overs), New Zealand 153/10 (35 overs).
2011 World Cup Final (2 April 2011) India Vs Sri Lanka India won by 6 wickets. Sri Lanka 274/6 (50 overs), India 277/4 (48.2 overs).
2023 Cricket World Cup
South Africa Vs England, South Africa won by 229 runs
South Africa Vs Bangladesh, South Africa won by 149 runs
India Vs Sri Lanka, India won by 302 runs
Australia Vs Afghanistan, Australia won by 3 wickets
World Cup Semi-final Why teams prefer bat first in Eden garden
Eden Gardens, Kolkata History in ODI matches
The Eden Gardens pitch is renowned for being a favorable batting surface, Spinners have enjoyed bowling.
The highest ODI score by Rohit Sharma smashed 264 runs against Sri Lanka in November 2014.
Total matches played 38
Batting first matches won 22
Bowing first matches won 15
Average 1st innings score 242
Average 2nd innings score 198
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