ICC World Cup 2019, Tournament Contest: Round 10 – Official Classic Fantasy Cricket Tips

Two more rounds of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 official fantasy are remaining with the conclusion of the league stage. The 9th round consists of the two semi-finals to be played in Manchester and Birmingham respectively. For India, Rohit Sharma with the bat and Jasprit Bumrah with the ball have been the stand out performers on whom they will be banking to clinch the trophy.

New Zealand lost momentum towards the end of league stage while Australia is hit by injuries in the recent matches. In all likelihood, India and England will be going through to the final. England and India began the CWC 2019 as No.1 and No.2 ranked teams respectively. India took over the No.1 rank during this tournament but England regained it by defeating India.

Here is our fantasy guide for the 10th round of the ICC World Cup 2019 tournament contest:

(Can be played on ICC Cricket website)

Round 10 schedule:

Semi-final 1 – India vs New Zealand in Manchester

Semi-final 2 – Australia vs England in Birmingham

Expert Advice:

Since there are only two matches in this round, only two of the three Free-Hits can be used. Super Fours and Bowling Machine will be best of the three as they cover multiple players. Not using Star Skipper only costs if someone scores close to a double century or someone ends up with a 7-wicket haul or better. The tracks expected in the two matches at worst will be slower ones; removing a record bowling performance out of the equation.

Wicket-Keepers:

Suggestions – MS Dhoni, Alex Carey, Jos Buttler, Tom Latham

MS Dhoni and Alex Carey are best possible picks among the keepers. If India bat first and Super Fours free-hit is used, Dhoni is best to pick given the catches and stumpings he could affect behind wickets. Tom Latham can be an alternative as he can score 30-40 if New Zealand loses early wickets and the left-hander finds himself against spinners.

For the other game, Alex Carey is in the same position as Dhoni. Moreover, the Australian keeper is on the edge of breaking the record for most stumpings in a World Cup edition. Jos Buttler can be picked as well but the English keeper’s batting form is a worrying factor.

Batsmen:

Suggestions – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson

Alternatives – Jonny Bairstow, Aaron Finch, David Warner, Jason Roy

Rohit Sharma is going through a purple patch and picking him that too as captain will be a no-brainer. New Zealand is one of the two opponents Rohit often struggled to score big. The other team is South Africa, the team against which Rohit began the CWC19 with an unbeaten century. The Indian opener is a usual threat against left-arm pacers in swinging conditions. But Old Trafford pitch isn’t something which will offer Trent Boult with that early movement.

Virat Kohli doesn’t have a great record in the World Cup knockouts but has hardly suffered a failure. Kane Williamson’s record in England is quite unbelievable. He got 15 consecutive scores of 40 and more in ODIs in England. The streak came to an end when he was run out at the non-striker’s end. Ross Taylor has done well in big matches and also against India which makes him trustworthy irrespective of the current form.

Talking about using the Super Fours free-hit in the other game, Aaron Finch will be the first name given his domination with the bat against England. Australia is the only team against which he averages less than 50 in ODIs and that average against the Aussies is below 30. Jason Roy does have a decent record against Australia and his absence was felt during the league stage game.

All-Rounders:

Suggestions – Hardik Pandya, Ben Stokes, Jimmy Neesham

Alternatives – Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Glenn Maxwell

Hardik Pandya’s improvement with the ball has paid off well for India in the tournament. Ben Stokes’ batting form will be something to watch out for during the knockouts as the all-rounder had four scores of 75+ in the league phase. Jimmy Neesham has done well with the bat and ball in alternative games.

Bowlers:

Suggestions – Jasprit Bumrah, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami

Alternatives – Mitchell Starc, Jason Behrendorff, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett

Choosing of bowlers and selecting the Bowling Machine Free-Hit can be gambled based on India-New Zealand game. The pitches of both the games are more likely to produce scores around 300. The Mitchell Starc and Jason Behrendorff pair have been lethal with the new ball. Both are good at exploiting any early swing on offer. Based on their recent performances, the Birmingham game is better for Bowling Machine compared to the first semis in Manchester.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

If India bats first, Rohit Sharma has to be the captain and the Indian skipper Virat Kohli as vice-captain. Aaron Finch, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow can be chosen among if India bats second in the first semi-final. A gamble can be made over one of Hardik Pandya, Ben Stokes and, Jimmy Neesham.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.