The warm-up round of the 2019 ICC World Cup has drawn to a conclusion with the main tournament set to get underway on Thursday at the Oval in London.
The upcoming edition will see the 10 teams battle it out initially in a round-robin group stage where they will face each other once before the top four sides advance to the semi-finals.
As hosts England and South Africa prepare to get the tournament underway, we look at how the 10 teams fared in their respective warm-up games.
ENGLAND
The hosts are rightly being considered as heavy favourites to break their World Cup title drought but faced mixed fortunes in their two warm-up clashes. They were beaten by Ashes rivals Australia in a hard-fought encounter before sweeping aside Afghanistan with relative ease to round things up.
While their victory over a confident Afghanistan side was a formidable display, the 12-run loss to Australia shows that they are far from infallible in the format. They will be hard to stop once they get going in the tournament but it remains to be seen how they respond to the pressure which will come with any potential setback.
INDIA
After England, it is India who count among the frontrunners for World Cup glory but Virat Kohli and his men faced mixed fortunes as well in their warm-ups. They were resoundingly beaten by New Zealand in the first clash where their star-studded batting unit was bowled out for just 179.
However, they responded brilliantly with a comprehensive 95-run win where their potential No4 KL Rahul and strike spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav both found form. The displays of their openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be cause of concern for India who will be the last team to open their World Cup campaign on June 5.
India have plenty of match winners in their ranks.
AUSTRALIA
It just keeps better and better for the defending champions who looked completely out of sorts in the format last year. Their win over England in the first warm-up clash will have boosted their confidence no end and the comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka that followed later will only add to it.
The Aussies were already on an eight-match winning streak against the likes of India and Pakistan before coming to England and are now looking like strong contenders for a record sixth title. The form of David Warner and Steve Smith since their returns from one-year suspensions is encouraging as well for Australia who are peaking at the right time.
SOUTH AFRICA
While the focus is drawn on the likes of England, India and Australia, South Africa have been quietly going about their business without having to deal with the limelight.
Faf du Plessis and his were convincing in their win over Sri Lanka in the first warm-up match. They were looking good against the West Indies too before the game was washed out.
With the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis in solid form, the Proteas will feel quietly confident of going deep in the tournament.
NEW ZEALAND
The Kiwis have always packed a punch when it comes to the World Cup and it promises to be no different in the upcoming edition. They were excellent in their commanding win over India in the warm-ups before being brought crashing down to earth by the Windies.
While conceding 421 runs against the Caribbean side is a cause for worry, Kane Williamson and his men will once again be dark horses for the title. They have a steady and strong core including Williamson, Trent Boult, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham, and will give plenty of the favourites a run for their money if everything clicks.
PAKISTAN
The Men in Green will enter the World Cup firmly as the underdogs after what has been an extended poor run in the ODI format. They were rolled aside by Afghanistan in their first warm-up before being deprived of any match practice in the washed-out clash against Bangladesh.
Their recent form aside from the warm-ups is also not too encouraging with the team currently on a 10-match losing run and they have had to recall Wahab Riaz from the cold to shore up their bowling attack for the World Cup. However, the underdogs status could suit Sarfraz Ahmed and his men just fine and they will be hoping to perform an encore of their 2017 ICC Champions Trophy triumph at the same venue.
WEST INDIES
If their most recent showing is anything to go by, the Windies could be the real dark horses for the World Cup. The Caribbean side amassed 421 against a formidable Kiwi bowling attack with their power-hitters in Chris Gayle and Andre Russell both impressing.
Blessed with some of the best T20 talents in the game, Jason Holder’s men are capable of the extraordinary on any given day. Young Shai Hope is in menacing form with the bat at the moment and it could end up being a special tournament for the two-time champions.
Windies are building towards something special according to Holder.
BANGLADESH
It wasn’t the most ideal of warm-ups for the Tigers whose first game against Pakistan was abandoned without a ball being bowled. They were beaten comprehensively by India in the second match but can still take a few positives from the 95-run loss. The form of Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim will be encouraging, while there is no shortage of experienced campaigners either, with Shakib Al Hasan, skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and opener Tamim Iqbal all adding experience and composure.
Bangladesh will also take confidence from their recent ODI tri-series triumph in Ireland where they beat West Indies in a rain-affected final. They, like Pakistan, will be considered as firm underdogs but have the capability to go the distance.
SRI LANKA
The islanders look to be in massive trouble ahead of the World Cup despite being proven performers on the grand stage. They were beaten convincingly by both South Africa and Australia in their warm-up clashes and have looked dismal in limited-overs cricket for some time now.
The constant change of leadership and politics at play in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has not helped matters with Test stalwart Dimuth Karunaratne the latest player to don the captaincy hat.
They are a side short on confidence as well as experience and will need their veteran campaigners such as Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews to show the way forward.
AFGHANISTAN
While their defeat to England exposed the gulf that still exists between them and the top sides, Afghanistan are primed to cause a few upsets in the World Cup. They showed that when they beat Pakistan in their first warm-up clash and will relish the chance to play nine of the top international sides in a single tournament.
With their array of talented spinners such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahman, along with a potential batting gem in Hazratullah Zazai, the Afghans will be looking to make a big statement in the World Cup.
The Afghans can cause a few upsets in the World Cup.
