India, South Africa, England and New Zealand have all reached the semis. South Africa have had the smoothest ride; the others navigated bumpier terrain during the Super 8s.”But what matters in tournament cricket, as the cliché goes, is peaking at the right time — and all four sides have been doing exactly that.
That peaking, however, came after some sharp tactical tweaks: new faces introduced, existing roles redrawn. The gambles paid off, delivering crucial wins at pressure points and booking places in the last four. Here is a look at the tactical calls that turned into masterstroke moments.
India Tactical move: Sanju Samson as opener
Impact: 97 off 50 balls vs West Indies
India’s top order had grown predictable at this World Cup — three left-handers in a row made it easy for opposition sides to set fields and attack from consistent angles, with off-spinners particularly exploiting the match-up. The co-hosts were humbled by South Africa, losing by 76 runs in Ahmedabad, and suddenly faced a real threat of an early exit. Then came the change: management reverted to Sanju Samson at the top to break up the left-handed cluster, and results followed almost immediately. He and Abhishek Sharma put on a 48-run opening stand — comfortably the best of the tournament — though that first outing was just a warm-up. In a must-win final group game against the West Indies, the Kerala batter blitzed 97 off 50 balls to win what was essentially a virtual quarterfinal and propel India into the semis.