Under the English sky, Three Lions eye elusive title

England during the initial five World Cups were a force to reckon with. Regardless of the fact that winning this coveted title still remains a fantasy, they have tried and have come agonizingly close on as many as three occasions (finalists in 1979, 1987 and 1992).

The first five editions of this cricketing pageant saw them reaching the semifinals on every occasion, but such has been their fall from the grace that they haven’t managed to achieve the feat till date. Since their quarterfinal finish in 1996, The Three Lions have bowed out of the group stages on three instances (1999, 2003 and 2015).

But as the World Cup returns to its birthplace, can the home advantage be ruled as an entity in their favour? Well, if the build-up is anything to go by, England are firm favourites. They recently demolished Pakistan 4-0 at home and became the first team score 340 plus runs in four consecutive ODIs.

Experts along with the players have predicted this year’s edition to be a run-fest, and it is going to be the home team who would profit from it the most. The likes of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler have carried an average of above 50 post the previous World Cup. Even their other batters in Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy have maintained their average in the 40s. Pitches in England – especially in the last 2-3 years – have been flatter and judging by the form their batsmen are in, it is easier to understand why they are the favourites.       

Over the past four years, the team has garnered 23,198 runs which is the most by any team.

Baring Afghanistan, England have hosted every team – participating in the World Cup – since 2015 and have come out on top on every occasion. With a win percentage of 72.73, their record of eight victories in 11 games (post 2015 WC) against Australia remains their best.

AFP / Saeed Khan

When it’s about ‘home advantage’ at the World Cup, only India (2011) and Australia (2015) have managed to capitalize on the edge. The 1996 edition though, had three hosts – India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – and the final was played in Pakistan. The Islanders, however, remain the only team amongst three who remained unbeaten in their winning campaign.

The English surfaces have always been the tricky facets for the visiting countries, but the likes of New Zealand and India have somehow managed to extract runs from it. Post-2015, the New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson has been the most successful batsman in England since 2015, having scored a whopping 640 runs in mere eight games at an average of 80.00. His teammate Ross Taylor follows suit with 523 runs in eight games at 74.71.

The Indian trio of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli then find themselves behind the New Zealand duo with 458, 458 and 449 runs in eight games respectively.

Heading into this year’s edition, England is the top-ranked side in the world. While their batting contingent has been near perfect, the bowling department has somehow failed to live up the billing. Since 2018, the English seamers have picked 141 wickets which is the second most by any team during the tenure. At the same time though, they have leaked 5283 runs which is, in fact, the highest runs conceded by any team. Overall, the English bowlers carry an economy of 6.02, which is again the worst among the rest.

As the World Cup kicks off, can the English Lions capitalize on their advantage? Well, the stars – it seems – are aligned in their favour and the team at least on the paper is one of the fiercest. It’s all about getting the order right and the trophy will indeed come home.