5 things to look forward to from the second half of 2018

After a topsy-turvy first half of 2018, we enter the second half of the year hoping to get some more enthralling action on the field. A range of high octane series will greet cricket viewers across the globe as the players look to dust off the rust post the Indian Premier League and get set to wear their respective national team's colors once again.

Here are five things to look forward to from the last six months of 2018:

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#5 Will there be more four-day Test matches?

Towards the end of 2017, South Africa and Zimbabwe played out the first ever four-day day-night Test match at Port Elizabeth. The game was the fruition of several days of mixed feelings on whether the basic fulcrum of the format should be tinkered with or not.

Cricket South Africa decided to go ahead with the experiment and it proved to be a one-sided affair with the hosts thumping the visitors by an innings and 120 runs to end the game inside two days.

Since it's inception in 2015, the Day-Night tests have started to find acceptance around the world with the likes of Pakistan and England joining Australia to play the format on home turf. There is no doubting that it does come with its own drawbacks, but it sure does add value to a format on which doubts are raised almost every day on whether it would survive or not.

Four-day cricket may not have found acceptance among all cricketing bodies or players, but like South Africa did, it is certainly an experiment that other countries could try this year to see if it attracts more crowd at venues.

Perhaps one of the England-Sri Lanka Tests could be tried as a four-day experiment to see if attract more crowds in that part of the world or the Proteas could go into experiment mode once again and try it out in the series against Pakistan at home.

#4 Can England overcome the Asian Test?

Can Root and co. overcome the Asian challenge?

If there is one word to describe the form of the present England team in Test cricket, it would be patchy. The Joe Root-led side have not yet found a formula which could make them a lot more consistent than what they are at present and with a series against India and a trip to Sri Lanka in the pipeline, the sooner they find that, the better.

Couple of key questions that Root and Trevor Bayliss have to answer is how do they further instill confidence in the likes of a Dominic Bess ahead of the trip to Sri Lanka. The Tests against India are lined up in August, meaning the pitches could be on the drier side. Will they then look to leave them that way to bring him more into the game? The countereffect to that would mean the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad could have a miniature role to play and might not have the same impact as they usually do.

Also, it is high time that the management somehow stops the ever-continuous musical chair about Alastair Cook's opening partner because, in the sub-continent, the opening partnership becomes vital in order to ensure the middle order don't get exposed early.

Series in the second half of 2018:

Tests

Vs India, home: 5 matches, August 1st- September 11th

Vs Sri Lanka, away: 3 matches, November 6th-November 27th

ODIs

Vs Australia, home: 5 matches, June 13th-June 24th

Vs India, home: 3 matches, July 12th-July 17th

Vs Sri Lanka, away: 5 matches, October 10th-October 23rd

T20Is

Vs Australia, home: June 27th

Vs India, home: 3 matches, July 3rd-July 8th

Vs Sri Lanka away: October 27th.

#3 How will South Africa cope with the Morkel-ABD loss?

Faf du Plessis will desperately hope Dale Steyn remains fit for a longer period of time

At the start of 2018, if any neutral supporter had been asked how the way forward looked for South Africa, he might have had some optimistic words to say, the reasons being that AB de Villiers had committed himself to playing all three formats of the game last year and Dale Steyn was once again back in the mix.

However, six months later, the scenario has completely changed. Morne Morkel has retired from the game and adding to that, de Villiers is no more available to play for South Africa, leaving huge holes to fill for the newer generation.

Suddenly, Faf du Plessis not just has the responsibility of winning matches for his country, but needs to see out a transitional period for the side and leave them in a better space before bowing out altogether.

Two players would be absolutely vital in ensuring that happens: Hashim Amla and Steyn. With de Villiers no longer there, runs from Amla's bat will be paramount as it would mean the others around him would bat and learn with experience and with the ball, with a young, emerging attack on the rise, the presence of Steyn will be equally important to guide them at key junctures.

Series in the second half of 2018:

Tests

Vs Sri Lanka, away: 2 Tests, July 12th-July 24th

Vs Pakistan, home: 3 Tests, December 26th-January 15th

ODIs

Vs Sri Lanka, away: July 29th-August 12th

Vs Zimbabwe, home: September 30th-October 6th

Vs Australia, away: November 4th-November 11th

T20Is

Vs Sri Lanka, away: August 14th

Vs Zimbabwe, home: October 9th-October 14th

Vs Australia, away: November 17th

#2 Will Australian cricket rise again?

Can the Paine-Langer combination resurrect the Australian fortunes?

June 2018 will mark the beginning of a new dawn in Australian cricket. Under a new captain -Tim Paine- and a new coach- Justin Langer- the side will look to move away from the ghosts of the ball tampering incident which rocked their cricketing structure in March and try and rewrite a new legacy that would be remembered for all the right reasons in the future.

For that to happen, Paine and co. must ensure that their bowling attack remains fit and raring to go at most times. The likes of Michell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have had a lot of fitness problems to deal with and their presence on a consistent basis will determine how well the Aussies do in the upcoming series.

Among all the cricket playing nations, it can be said that the fortunes of Australia is the one which will be most hard to predict.

Series in the second half of 2018:

Tests

Vs India, home: 4 matches, December 6th- January 7th

ODIs

Vs England, away: 5 matches, June 13th-June 24th

Triangular series with Zimbabwe and Pakistan, away: July 2nd-July 6th

Vs South Africa, home: 3 matches, November 4th-November 11th

T20Is

vs England, away: June 27th

Vs India, home: 3 matches, November 21st-November 25th

#1 Can India complete the rare double?

Can Kohli and his men create a new legacy overseas?

Few seasons in Indian cricket in recent times might have held as much significance as the upcoming one. India are set for twin tours to England and Australia and both of them will give the public enough idea as to how far this side has progressed since starting afresh in January 2015 under the leadership of Virat Kohli.

They might have lost in South Africa, but in each of the three Tests, they were in the game always. Now in England and in Australia, the task in front of them lies that they need to finish the job and create a piece of history that would be remembered for years to come.

Series in the second half of 2018:

Test Cricket

Vs Afghanistan, home: June 14th-June 18th

Vs England, away: 5 matches, August 1st- September 11th

Vs Australia, away: 4 matches, December 6th- January 7th

ODIs

Vs England, away: 3 matches, July 12th-July 17th

T20Is

Vs Ireland, away: 2 matches, June 27th-June 29th

Vs England, away: 3 matches, July 3rd-July 8th

Vs Australia, away: 3 matches, November 21st-November 25th

Note: No clarity yet on India's home season