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The league stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is nearing its conclusion, with the top teams preparing to advance to the Super 8 stage. While a few teams are still battling for their spots, the majority have secured their place in the next phase of the tournament. The Super 8 stage promises to be thrilling, featuring some of the world’s best cricketing nations, with the competition intensifying as teams vie for a place in the semi-finals.
Brad Hogg predicts the finalists
Brad Hogg, the former Australian cricketer, has picked two sides from the Super 8 stage to meet in the grand finale. He expressed his hopes for a final showdown between India and Australia. Hogg highlighted the strength of both teams, noting their performances in the Super 8 group.
“In the Super 8s, Australia and India have got Bangladesh (yet to qualify) and Afghanistan, and you expect both teams to beat Afghanistan and Bangladesh and move through to the semi-finals. Hopefully, that does happen. It sets it up for the possibility of Australia and India in a grand final which I’d absolutely love to happen,” said Hogg on Star Sports.
Hogg believed Australia have an advantage in their first Super 8 match against India because they have been acclimatizing to the slow and challenging conditions in the West Indies, while the Indian team have been playing in New York, where the pitches have offered seam movement, disrupting their batters’ rhythm.
“That first game between Australia and India in the Super 8s, the advantage would have to be to Australia because they’ve been playing in the West Indies where it’s been difficult, it’s been slow. Whereas the Indian team has been playing in New York where there’s been some seam movement, the batters haven’t been able to get their rhythm, and also they’re coming from IPL where they were playing on a lot of flat wickets,” he added.
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Teams shine to qualify for Super 8 stage
Notably, India and Australia have demonstrated strong performances in the league stage, securing their spots in the Super 8 stage with impressive victories. The two cricketing giants will face off again on June 24 in St. Lucia, setting the stage for what promises to be a highly anticipated clash. Both teams have shown exceptional form, making their way through the league stage with confidence, and are expected to advance further in the tournament.
A recap of their last encounter
The last time India and Australia met was in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, where Australia emerged victorious, defeating India to claim the title. This victory added to Australia’s recent dominance over India, having also triumphed in the final of the World Test Championship last year. The upcoming Super 8 match will be a rematch that cricket fans around the world are eagerly anticipating, with both teams looking to assert their superiority once again.
