Deep Backward Point

Kartikeya at A Cricketing View analyzes the possibility of a team choosing a tactical defeat in the remaining four games:

In this post, I contemplate a few tactical defeats . A tactical defeat is one in which a team which has a realistic chance of winning, chooses to lose a game by resting key players, or simply by experimenting with batting orders and bowling orders, and letting the other side win in the interest of their position in the tournament. Australia, Pakistan, India, South Africa and West Indies all have this opportunity. [..]

Tactical defeats are unlikely to be of benefit to any side over the remaining three significant games.

Even though he makes a thorough analysis, he’s wrong. There is one team that can strategically benefit from a defeat– India. They will know the result of all other matches and can choose who to face based on a win or defeat.

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Kartikeya is also trying to put together the top team compiled from players at the World Cup based on voting– go vote!