World Cup 2019: 5 classic encounters to look out for

There is no doubt that the World Cup is cricket's biggest stage and while even ordinary matches have extraordinary implications, there are few iconic games, classics even which attain further immortality due to the importance of this event.

Few of the biggest cricketing rivalries have started or ended in this stage with the players giving it their all for their country on the field though they share an amicable relationship off of it.

Be it a weekday, holiday or even on a day in which rain is pelting down upon them, the fans always throng to the grounds to catch a glimpse of their favorite players with the hopes of witnessing even a small bit of cricketing action. And as they say, nothing is better than a closely contested game of cricket.

On that note, let's take a look at 5 classic encounters to watch out for at ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

#5 England vs India (June 30)

England vs India is always a promising encounter despite the lack of rivalry between the teams.

While both these sides don't really have an ongoing rivalry of sorts to make this clash extra special, the fact that both these sides are No.1 and No.2 on the ICC ODI Rankings will serve the purpose.

The pre-tournament favorites will take on each other on Sunday, June 30th at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham in what promises to be a cracker of an encounter.

India have the edge over England in ODIs with the Men in Blue winning 53 out of 96 completed ODIs while England's won 41 games, 2 matches have been tied. In World Cup games between the two, both these teams are level with 3 wins each and one tie and this game is set to be a deciding clash in the fate of these sides in the tournament.

Key players for India: Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Key players for England, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer, Joe Root

#4 New Zealand vs Australia (June 29)

The players of these 2 sides share a good friendship both on and off the field.

The Black Caps and the Aussies met at the 2015 World Cup Final, the tournament where they were the co-hosts and in the end, Australia triumphed to leave the Kiwis devastated once more. Despite the absence of an impending rivalry between the sides, the teams always played their best cricket against each other and every fixture has guaranteed a brilliant cricket match filled with twists and turns.

However, Australia have a huge 90-39 advantage over New Zealand in 129 completed ODIs while having a 3-7 advantage over them in World Cup games.

Despite the history leaning towards Australia, it is expected to have no bearing over this match. Both the sides are well-balanced sides with a strong contention of making it to the playoffs hence an exciting clash on 29th June is a certainty.

Key players for New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, and Trent Boult

Key players for Australia: David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc.

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#3 India vs Australia (June 9)

Aaron Finch and Virat Kohli

India vs Australia, a fixture which means so much to all the fans of both these sides without really having a lot of history behind their rivalry. They fight their hearts out on the field but share a good camaraderie off of it. They are two of the strongest sides in the tournament and the 2 points up for grabs are very crucial in determining the final standings of the points table.

The Australians lead 77-49 in the head-to-head record between these sides in the 126 completed ODIs while having an 8-3 advantage over them in World Cups, the last of those wins coming in the World Cup 2015 semi-finals.

Come June 9th, these 2 sides will square off at the Oval, London and renew another chapter in their fascinating cricketing rivalry.

Key players for Australia: David Warner, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.

Key Players for India: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Jasprit Bumrah.

#2 India vs Pakistan (June 16th)

This is an emotional affair for fans of both countries.

Arguably the most awaited clash of this World Cup, India taking on Pakistan at Old Trafford, Manchester, this game promises to be a high voltage encounter.

Both Virat Kohli and Sarfraz Ahmed have stated that they won't allow any external scenario to infuse more aggression to the game and that the sides share a mutual respect for each other both on and off the field.

Pakistan have a 73-54 lead over India in 127 completed ODIs while India holds a 6-0 win record over Pakistan in the World Cups. With both sides coming into the contest with a lot of passion and flair, expect a truly endearing battle.

Key Players for India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Key Players for Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, and Wahab Riaz

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#1 England vs Australia (25th June)

England vs Australia.

A match-up with over 135 years of history, these are the two sides who really fight it out as far as the game is concerned but are good friends off the field, as seen in this year's success of the Warner-Bairstow duo in the IPL. Australia vs England is a well-known fixture among all cricketing fans and with the annual Test Series known primarily as The Ashes, the rivalry gets carried on regardless of the format.

The fierce competition between the sides was reflected even in the warm-up game as the banned Aussie duo of Steve Smith and David Warner made a brilliant comeback despite being booed by a rampant England crowd. With supporters of both these sides set to flock the stadium, a lot of banter is set to accompany the cricket which of course, is first-rate.

Australia lead 81-61 in head-to-head stats in 144 completed ODIs of which 2 games were tied. The Aussies also lead 5-2 in 7 World Cup matches.

On Tuesday, 25th June, one of the most classic cricket matches will take place at the iconic Lord's Stadium in London where these 2 champion sides take on each other.

Key Players for England: Jason Roy, Joe Root, and Jofra Archer

Key Players for Australia: Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Starc