It’s taken a little while, but the World Cup has reached a semi-final stage that promises to serve up two very good matches.
If the quarter-finals were disappointing in the sense that they did not produce any close contests, they at least ensured that the best quartet of teams in the tournament have reached the last four.
The draw has also paired New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and India in the most intriguing way. New Zealand and South Africa are already reasonably well matched, while conditions in Sydney give India much more of a chance against Australia.
The semis and the teams involved throw a spotlight on the four captains, who have their own separate stories in addition to the mission of trying to win the World Cup.
New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum is the personification of his nation’s hopes, while AB de Villiers is looking to finally shake off South Africa’s ‘choker’ reputation in a year in which he has already done some extraordinary things with the bat.
No matter what state India are in, MS Dhoni seems to have the magic touch when it comes to 50-over tournaments. Going back through the last World Cup and Champions Trophy, Dhoni’s men have won 16 successive matches.
And just imagine how emotional it would be for Michael Clarke to lift the World Cup in Melbourne next Sunday. Not only has he had to deal with the death of Phillip Hughes, but also his own injury problems and suggestions that he could lose the Australia captaincy.
What binds these four men is that they are all positive characters whose default mode is to attack. That adds another dollop of anticipation for what are likely to be two blockbuster semi-finals; none of these captains will be happy to sit back.
New Zealand v South Africa (Auckland, Tuesday, 01:00 GMT)
With this game being played in Auckland, a unique ground with two very short, straight boundaries, New Zealand should be favourites because they will have greater knowledge of how to use those conditions.
That is not to say that South Africa will not be dangerous, but their most recent memory of playing in Auckland is a defeat by Pakistan.
The other factor in play with the smaller ground is the fifth bowler’s slot that South Africa have struggled with throughout the tournament. Yes, JP Duminy took a hat-trick in their quarter-final win over Sri Lanka, but you wonder if he will be targeted by the Black Caps.
The best way for South Africa to ease that problem is to take early wickets, something they are clearly capable of doing through Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott – an under-the-radar seamer whom I rate highly.
Those pace bowlers taking on McCullum at the beginning of the innings will be fascinating. McCullum has done nothing but attack during this competition and it’s been suggested that he might need to take some responsibility if New Zealand are to lift the trophy.
He has a dilemma in this match. Does he continue to play in the same way against a very good trio of pacers, or does he see them off and wait for that weak-link fifth bowler?
In my opinion, he must carry on in the manner he has been playing.
Talking from the bowler’s perspective, you can say that the Kiwi skipper gives you a chance, but you are also wondering “crikey, where’s he going to hit me next?”
I’m always wary of a batsman saying “that’s just the way I play”, but, in one-day cricket there is room for the likes of McCullum to blaze away at the top order.
There were questions about how New Zealand would cope when both he and Kane Williamson failed, questions emphatically answered by Martin Guptill against West Indies.
South Africa have their own batting lethal weapon in De Villiers, but he will have to deal with Trent Boult and Tim Southee, two of the tournament’s outstanding quick bowlers, not to mention the magical left-arm spin of Daniel Vettori.
Both of these teams are bidding to make their first World Cup final and, rounding everything up, I expect New Zealand to be the team that will play in Melbourne on 29 March.
Australia v India (Sydney, Thursday, 03:30 GMT)
Even though Australia are the most likely of the four teams remaining to win the World Cup, playing India in Sydney is about the stiffest challenge they could have been given in the semi-finals.
Indeed, because this match will be played on a pitch that should turn and grip, you feel that India will give Australia a tougher examination than New Zealand or South Africa would have done at this stage.
Not only will Australia have to deal with India’s spinners in conditions that should suit them, they will also have to consider their own options.
Do they continue with the battery of fast bowlers that has served them so well throughout the tournament, or do they include the left-arm spin of Xavier Doherty?
Some can point to the fact that India failed to win any of their 10 matches in all formats on their tour of Australia between November and January, but they have played very good cricket since then to get to this stage with seven wins from seven matches.
Australia also had some alarms in their quarter-final win against Pakistan, Wahab Riaz roughing up their top order with a spell of very hostile, very pacey fast bowling.
They are unlikely to face anything like that in this match, rather the different challenge of India’s slow bowlers on a pitch that turned during the South Africa-Sri Lanka quarter-final.
Clarke’s men also have to cope with the pressure of a home public that expects them to win this tournament. Yes, they will be buoyed by their good record against India, but Dhoni’s men are used to playing in these high-stakes games.
They are under constant pressure at home, play in front of baying crowds in the Indian Premier League and have that excellent record in knockout matches.
However, India will have to find a way of playing left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who, along with Boult and Southee, has been the outstanding bowler of the tournament.
Ideally, they would like to bat first, then put the screws on Australia’s chase.
I’m looking forward to this contest immensely and it is very difficult to choose a winner. If Australia do come through, then it will be a huge tick for their credentials as World Cup winners.
Win in Sydney and you suspect it will be Clarke’s men celebrating in Melbourne.
