World Cup 2019: Important games of the upcoming week to watch out for

The first three weeks of the 2019 Cricket World Cup have been a mixed bag with a few one-sided matches, a few close contests and also a fair share of abandoned matches.

However, things could pick up steam with an India-Pakistan game kicking off a week follow by a high-voltage encounter between New Zealand and South Africa. To round off the week, New Zealand will play against another semi-final contender in the form of West Indies.

As we move into yet another week of exciting cricket action, here is a look at three important upcoming clashes.

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India Vs Pakistan, Match 22, 16th June 2019

First of all, the much-awaited India-Pakistan game will be played on Sunday, 16th June 2019. It doesn't need any explanation to highlight the excitement around this game. India-Pakistan games have always been ones to watch out for in World Cups.

Heading into the game, one has to admit that India are huge favorites. India are, in fact, one of the favorites to lift the trophy. The side had to face a setback in the form of an injury to Shikhar Dhawan. However, India will feel confident that Dhawan's absence can be filled in by a combination of KL Rahul and Vijay Shankar/ Dinesh Karthik. Apart from this conundrum, India seem to have all bases covered.

The same cannot be said about Pakistan. The team as a whole has been inconsistent throughout the World Cup. Pakistan's batsmen have failed to convert their starts into huge scores. This is reflected in the fact that Pakistan do not have individual hundreds in the tournament.

Their bowling attack hasn't been any better as only Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz seem to be in good rhythm. Another important department in the form of fielding has also been a negative for Pakistan. The team has dropped a number of important catches and also misfielded on many occasions.

Impact of this match's result on the points table

India are currently on the third spot in the points table and remain as one of the only two unbeaten sides in the World Cup. They have played three games and won two of them. Their third match against New Zealand was abandoned due to heavy rain. A win against Pakistan will lift them to the top of the table if Australia lose their game against Sri Lanka or if the game gets washed out.

On the other hand, Pakistan lie in 8th spot with one win, two losses and an abandoned game. A win against India is very important to stay afloat in the World Cup. The team can rise to fifth spot in the table with a win and also earn a favor if Australia defeat Sri Lanka.

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New Zealand Vs South Africa, Match 25, 19th June 2019

Williamson will be key for New Zealand

The next important game will be between the other unbeaten side in the World Cup, New Zealand and a struggling South African side.

New Zealand will back themselves to notch up a win in this encounter. The 'Kiwis' have had a relatively easy start to the World Cup with games against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Their first real test was expected to be the game against India but it was washed out.

On the other hand, South Africa have battled poor form and injury concerns at the start of the World Cup. Nothing has worked for the 'Proteas' as most of the players seem to be out of form. In addition, Dale Steyn was ruled out of the tournament while Lungi Ngidi has been suffering from a hamstring injury. While Ngidi is expected to comeback for the match against New Zealand, South Africa still have their backs behind the wall.

Impact of this match's result on the points table

New Zealand sit pretty at the top of the points table with three wins and a point from an abandoned match. They can strengthen their hold over the top spot with a win over South Africa.

Meanwhile, South Africa have just one point on the board from four games and lie in 9th spot on the points table. They will be desperate to register their first win of the World Cup which would ensure that the Faf du Plessis-led side stays alive in the World Cup.

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New Zealand Vs West Indies, Match 29, 22nd June 2019

The match between New Zealand and West Indies will complete a important week of fixtures. Two consecutive wins against South Africa and West Indies could practically seal a semi-final spot for New Zealand.

West Indies, on the other hand, will have to win both against Bangladesh and New Zealand in order to stay in the hunt for a semi final spot. After a promising start, West Indies have fallen by the way side with losses against Australia and England.

Their match against South Africa was also abandoned due to incessant rain that has dented their campaign. West Indies have lacked patience and smartness with the bat while their bowling lacked penetration against England. So far, only Nicholas Pooran has shown some maturity for the West Indies as the other West Indian batsmen have been unable to adapt towards fifty-over cricket requirements.

Impact of the match's result on the points table

New Zealand currently have seven points from 4 games. If they win their games against South Africa and West Indies, no team would be able to displace New Zealand from pole position for the time being.

If West Indies can win their two games against Bangladesh and New Zealand, they can get out of middle and move to seven points from six games.

On the whole, the upcoming week promises to be a very exciting one. At this moment, the top four consists of New Zealand, England, Australia and India. Yet, the results of these matches can shuffle the points table in a very interesting way that adds extra excitement to thse upcoming clashes.

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