SCG: First meeting at the venue
South Africa
• ODI ranking: 3
• Record in this tournament: 4 wins, 2 losses
• Form in this tournament: Inconsistent. Belted 400-plus totals against West Indies and Ireland, but found wanting in run-chases against India and Pakistan.
• Key batsman: AB de Villiers. They rely heavily on the best batsman in the world, but the fact is he is capable of winning games off his own blade.
• Key bowler: Morne Morkel. The beanpole has taken 13 wickets in this tournament and should trouble Sri Lanka with his bounce.
Sri Lanka
• ODI ranking: 4
• Record in this tournament: 4 wins, 2 losses
• Form in this tournament: Incredible with the bat, incredibly bad with the ball. Look capable of chasing almost any total and made 312 at the SCG against Australia's star-studded attack.
• Key batsman: Kumar Sangakkara. Leading run-scorer of the tournament with 496 runs and will be desperate to continue his ODI swansong for another week.
• Key bowler: Lasith Malinga. Been building form and fitness over the past month, having recovered from ankle surgery to take his place in the squad.
Game 2: India v Bangladesh - MCG on Thursday, March 19
Overall head-to-head record: Played 28; India 24, Bangladesh 3, NR/abandoned 1
World Cup: Played 2; India 1, Bangladesh 1
MCG: First meeting at the venue
India
• ODI ranking: 2
• Record in this tournament: 6 wins, 0 losses
• Form in this tournament: Outstanding. An upset win over South Africa at the MCG was the highlight of the defending champion's undefeated campaign.
• Key batsman: Shikhar Dhawan. Scored an impressive century in the side's clash with the Proteas at the same venue and capable of scoring in a hurry.
• Key bowler: Ravichandran Ashwin. Was belted around the park by Brendan Taylor in Auckland, but has otherwise been MS Dhoni's go-to man for a wicket.
Bangladesh
• ODI ranking: 9
• Record in this tournament: 3 wins, 2 losses, 1 washout
• Form in this tournament Commendable. Knocked England out of the tournament with their win at Adelaide Oval, then backed it up by giving New Zealand an almighty fright last Friday.
• Key batsman: Mahmudullah. Coming off back-to-back centuries, Bangladesh are likely to need another composed knock from the right-hander.
• Key bowler: Rubel Hossain. The slinger claimed four wickets in the 15-run win over England, with his mettle at the end being particularly impressive.
Game 3: Australia v Pakistan - Adelaide Oval on Friday, March 20
Overall head-to-head record: Played 92; Australia 57, Pakistan 31, tied 1, NR/abandoned 3
World Cup: Played 8; Australia 4, Pakistan 4
Adelaide Oval: Played 6; Australia 5, Pakistan 1
Australia
• ODI ranking: 1
• Record in this tournament: 4 wins, 1 loss, 1 washout
• Form in this tournament: Largely impressive. A collapse of 8-26 in Auckland was embarrassing, but the co-hosts have otherwise excelled as expected.
• Key batsman: Glenn Maxwell. Scored his maiden century in style against Sri Lanka, setting a new Australian record for the fastest ODI ton.
• Key bowler: Mitchell Starc. The left-armer is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 16 scalps and he has been almost unplayable at times.
Pakistan
• ODI ranking: 7
• Record in this tournament: 4 wins, 2 losses
• Form in this tournament: Terrible then terrific. Started with heavy losses to India and West Indies, but have since posted four wins on the trot.
• Key batsman: Misbah-ul-Haq. Has made four half-centuries over the past month and put Australia to the sword when he last played them in October.
• Key bowler: Wahab Riaz. The paceman has starred in all four of the side's wins in the tournament and is a proven wicket-taker.
Game 4: New Zealand v West Indies - Westpac Stadium on Saturday, March 21
Overall head-to-head record: Played 60; New Zealand 23, West Indies 30, NR/abandoned 7
World Cup: Played 6; New Zealand 3; West Indies 3
Wellington: Played 3; New Zealand 3
New Zealand
• ODI ranking: 5
• Record in this tournament: 6 wins, 0 losses
• Form in this tournament: Imposing. Yet to be knocked off, although the fact they only snuck home by one wicket while chasing 152 against Australia would be somewhat alarming.
• Key batsman: Brendon McCullum. Audacious strokes, incredible power and aggressive intent have netted the captain 257 runs.
• Key bowler: Trent Boult. Has claimed 15 scalps during the tournament, while his tally of 11 maidens is comfortably a tournament best.
West Indies
• ODI ranking: 8
• Record in this tournament: 3 wins, 3 losses
• Form in this tournament: Shambolic. Crept into the knockout phase with a big win over the United Arab Emirates that ensured they would finish above Ireland on net run-rate.
• Key batsman: Chris Gayle. Missed the side's last-start win over the UAE with a back injury and will be sorely missed if he's still sidelined.
• Key bowler: Jason Holder. The skipper went for 1-104 in the side's loss to South Africa, but has otherwise kept it tight.
- AAP
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