World Cup 2019: 5 essential traits of a champion team

30th May 2019, the inaugural day of the World Cup 2019, will be a day which everyone from the cricket fraternity has been waiting for! With the start of warm-up matches, all the teams have jumped into the process of identifying their ideal playing XI before the formal beginning of the multi-nation tournament.

Ironically, both the overwhelming favourites of this edition of the World Cup (India and England) have been put into a spot of bother by last edition's finalists, New Zealand and Australia. For the Kiwis and the Aussies, the wins would be a morale booster ahead of the league matches.

Though warm-up matches are just a preview, they have showcased us one of the major upsets in the form of Afghanistan's massive victory over Pakistan.

With just 2 days away from the start of the showpiece event, let's overview the vital attributes of a champion team which can assist them to achieve the greatest glory.

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#1 Formidable Opening Combination

Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy have been in scintillating form

Be it batting friendly or bowling friendly conditions, having an intimidating opening pair has become imperative. They always lay a solid platform for the mammoth totals as well as act as a saviour of middle order from their exposure to the new ball.

For instance, the pair of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy has been in impeccable form, decimating every opposition bowlers on their way out. Even India (Rohit and Shikhar), Australia (Finch and Warner) and New Zealand (Guptill and Munro) have been blessed with one of the most feared combinations in the world.

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#2 An Anchor Role

The modern day 'Fab Four'

Players like Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson are an apt example for a 'Anchor Role'.

Fondly known as the 'Fab Four', these players have the ability to absorb the pressure by maneuvering the ball through the field and humbling the opposition with some scintillating shots at the same time.

Their role is such that, they give freedom to the other batsmen by anchoring one end, helping others to express themselves with no fear. It's their longevity at the crease which has been so elusive to decode by some fearsome bowling lineups too.

#3 Batting and Bowling All-rounder

The duo of Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes provides immense balance to the English side.

Gone are the days where players were selected based on their one-dimensional skill. In the modern era, teams have been in search of all-rounders more than a batsman or a bowler. Unless it's a Virat Kohli or a Kane Williamson, it is never easy for a player to hold their place in the team unless they have the '3-D skills'.

The duo of Ben Stokes - Chris Woakes or Hardik Pandya - Ravindra Jadeja can be a fitting example for this combination. These are the kind of players who can shift the momentum to their side with a match-saving innings or a fierce bowling spell.

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#4 Lower Order Contribution

England tops the list of lower order contributions with the bat

In the modern-day cricket, even the No. 8, 9, 10, 11 batsmen have started to have a go at the opposition bowlers. Their contribution in these past 4 years is such that their tag as 'Tailenders' has slowly transformed into 'Lower order batsman'.

Unlike Australia, England or New Zealand who have a savvy lower order, the Indian team has struggled in this department in recent times. Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, it is apparent that none of the other bowlers (Bumrah, Chahal, Kuldeep and Shami) qualify as a lower-order batsman.

Though each one of them are match-winners in their own department, it has put more pressure on the Indian top-order to bat deep by avoiding risky shots until the slog overs.

#5 Variety in the bowling lineup

Aaron Finch will be delighted to have such a potential bowling lineup which succeeded in India

With the advent of new rules, the white-ball bowlers have been put through some grueling times. Hence, It has become inevitable for teams to have variety in the bowling lineup to unsettle the batsmen's rhythm.

"In an era where big bats and big scores, with occasional monumental battering, have proliferated ODIs, there are still some seriously good bowling attacks gearing up for 2019 World Cup" - Ian Chappell.

Every team dreams of an ideal bowling combination which consists of a Left-arm and Right-arm Fast, Medium pace, off spin and a wrist spin.

In this view, Australia seems to have an edge over all the other teams with an ideal lineup of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa who can be pivotal in these belter pitches in England.