What went wrong for England in ICC World Cup 2023?

The England cricket team will need some time to digest the fact that they lost to Afghanistan in a World Cup match. What was predicted to be a comfortable win for Jos Buttler and his men turned out to be an absolute nightmare as the Afghan bowlers crushed England's strong batting lineup.

England were all out at 215 while chasing a target of 285 at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. With this loss, England has now lost two out of three matches in this World Cup.

In fact, things haven’t been going well for England since they started their WC campaign in India. They seem to have gone wrong in one particular department.

Misreading the wicket

• England skipper Jos Buttler admitted that he misread the wicket, which ultimately led to their loss against Afghanistan.
• Buttler said that his decision to chase after winning the toss and opting for an extra seamer didn't work, and it cost them the match.
• Buttler's analysis appears to be accurate, considering that Indian wickets generally favor batting.
• Teams that prioritize additional batters in their squad tend to have an edge, even when the chase target exceeds 300.
• This is also why it’s exceedingly difficult to beat India on their home soil. The Indian batting lineup is strong, and the team typically includes three all-rounders in crucial matches.
• Additionally, the wickets in India heavily favor spinners, which explains the success of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi in dismissing the English batting lineup.
• Unlike the wickets in England and Australia that favor fast bowlers and batters, the Indian grounds in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad hardly experience the dew factor.

The Ben Stokes factor

• The absence of allrounder Ben Stokes appears to be hurting England.
• Despite recovering from his knee injury, his ongoing hip injury, sustained a few days before the World Cup, has prevented his clearance for play.

• Stokes, expected to play solely as a batter, could potentially have had a significant impact on the match's outcome had he been available.
• In the absence of Stokes, England may have narrowly lost to Afghanistan on Sunday.

Is England on the brink of elimination?

• It would be premature to conclude that England is on the verge of being knocked out of the World Cup. The team still has five matches ahead, facing South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, and the Netherlands.

• If England falters against South Africa on October 21, their prospects of qualifying for the semis could become challenging.

• Despite their recent setbacks, England cannot be dismissed outright, as they boast highly skilled players capable of steering the team out of the current mess.