After Sri lanka comprehensively defeated Scotland on the shoulders of old war horse Kumar Sangakkara’s fourth consecutive ton in this tournament on Wednesday, clarity finally emerged on India’s road to the knockouts.
Topping the group with 10/10 points, India will be going to Melbourne to play their quarterfinals on March 19, against Bangladesh, the team that infamously ousted them from the group stage of the 2007 World Cup.
However, if all goes as per plan, India would be playing the Sydney semi-final on March 26th as opposed to the one in Auckland. The winner of the Adelaide quarterfinal will play the winner of the Melbourne one. This means that if India win in the Q/F, it will play either Australia or Pakistan in the Sydney semi.
The ICC has, this time, given special venue allotments to the co-hosts as home advantage. While Adelaide has been assigned to Australia for the Q/F and Sydney if they qualify for the semis, New Zealand would be playing its quarter-final at Wellington and semi at Auckland, if they qualify.
India, meanwhile, play their last league match against Zimbabwe at Auckland on March 14 before flying to Melbourne. Zimbabwe are already out of the tournament but their skipper said they would be “playing for pride” and in the hope of reversing the memorable Kapil Dev run against them in the 1983 World Cup with a memorable 175.
A win or loss against Zimbabwe will not alter India’s position in Group B.