World Cup 2019: Where's the taste? asks Ian Chappell

A World Cup that started out showing promise of being the most open suddenly appeared to be a closed shop when Bangladesh were submerged by Australias batting avalancheHowever a Sri Lankan side beset by a batting unit that featured a spluttering engine and splattering rain drops that favoured their venues breathed life back into a tournament whose preliminary stages were on life support The England team carrying a reputation for batting feasts albeit with the occasional famine were upset when they were starved of runs by an inspired Sri Lankan attackUntil this Sri Lankan resurgence the prestigious 50over tournament had appeared to be a battle between just four teams mdash India England Australia and New Zealand mdash to decide who is the bestThe disappointing form of West Indies and Pakistan plus the complete implosion of South Africa had seemingly robbed the tournament of its competitive edge Sri Lanka then changed all that in a low scoring thrillerIts long been my contention that its not beneficial for the 50over game to have huge first innings scores in the same way that Test cricket doesnt profit when the team batting first scores excessively In both cases this drastically reduces the chance of an enticing contestIt can be excitingSri Lankas defeat of England was further proof that the 50over game can be exciting and entertaining without the ball constantly being deposited in the stands by batsmen faced with only a moderate challengeAdministrators need to give serious thought to how the 50over game can return to a more even contest between bat and ballIts natural that the longer the game the more likely it is that any difference in the ability of the respective teams will be exposed Hence the popularity of the T20 version as the lesser teams have more chance of staying competitive in a match for longerIt was no surprise the Big Three mdash India Australia and England mdash as they were dubbed a few years ago when they attempted a financial coup are in the thick of the fight for the title Those three teams are the strongest financially and have the best infrastructure New Zealand are a classic case of a side perennially making the most of what theyve got and Sri Lanka with their strong cricketing tradition proved once again they are capable of producing a big upsetIndia best balanced teamOf the top four India appear to be the best balanced England is prone to inconsistency and perhaps suffers from the pressure of playing at home Australia is heavily dependent against the better sides on David Warner Aaron Finch and Steve Smiths batting and Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins bowling New Zealand lack big names but they do have Kane Williamson and Trent Boult and a mountain of determinationIndia is also the best placed to cover for injuries to important players While Shikhar Dhawans absence is a blow to India his opening replacement KL Rahul is very capable and Vijay Shankars presence adds variety to the bowlingAustralia would be in big trouble if they were to lose one of Starc or Cummins to injury Despite Sri Lankas defeat of England the current top four are still likely to contest the semifinalsIndia are favourites to finish on top as they have a reasonably easy remaining draw Australia and England have some tough matches ahead and the loser of their clash could well occupy fourth spotFor the tournamentssake its to be hoped that Sri Lankas uprising will inspire the West Indies Pakistan and South Africa to do better That would whet the appetite for what should be a highly competitive and entertaining knockout stageCatch up on all the latest T20 news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates