The best they can do, in the event they defeat Australia and line up for the semi-final in Sydney, is summon spinner Saeed Ajmal.
As the tournament gets to the business end here's a chance to predict the winner. Listed below are the eight quarter-finalists. Pick four who you think will make the semi-finals.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza expressed displeasure at a few decisions going against his side in their 109 runs' thrashing by India in the cricket World Cup quarter-finals at the MCG on Thursday though he did not say it in so many words.
As if not enough with their embarrassing 130-run loss to India, South Africa were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate.
Pakistan look to get their so far lacklustre World Cup campaign going with a win over Zimbabwe.
Dhoni praised every aspect of Ashwin's performance.
Former Australia skipper Kim Hughes is not a great fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership style and feels that Virat Kohli's elevation to captaincy should not only be in Tests but also across all formats to bring in more purpose to the top job.
What does Gideon Haigh, widely considered the finest cricket writer of our time, think of the man currently acclaimed as the finest cricketer on the planet?
crowd of 80,000 flocked to the MCG for Thursday's sudden-death encounter.
The hits and misses of the week.
When defending champions Australia compete in the Women's Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne on Sunday, they will earn the same as their male counterparts would - in stark contrast to their rivals, India. In cricket-mad India, male players are revered as gods, paid handsomely and showered with lucrative endorsement deals, from watches and shoes to snacks, headphones and even toothbrushes. The women barely get a look-in.
For New Zealand, the tournament is still a great success. They had never played in a World Cup final before, reaching the semi-finals six times but losing on each occasion, and were unbeaten going into the final.
New Zealand and South Africa played their hearts out in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup at the Eden Park in Auckland on Tuesday, but it was the Black Caps who emerged triumphant by four wickets.
The International Cricket Council has backed match officials criticised by the governing body's own president over a controversial no-ball decision in Thursday's World Cup quarter-final between India and Bangladesh.
Alastair Cook believes England were wrong to sack him as their one-day captain.
The hits and misses of the week.
Michael Clarke signed off from One-day cricket on a high on Sunday after his team beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the World Cup final at the MCG and fittingly dedicated the triumph to Philip Hughes, who tragically lost his life in a freak on-field accident.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
India's captain feels the roller-coaster ride he witnessed all these years makes cricket a "great leveller".
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup
Australia's players said they had saved their best performance until the end of the tournament.
Outraged by the quality of umpiring in Bangladesh's World Cup quarter-final loss to India in Melbourne, the country's Cricket Board is all set to lodge a protest in the ICC and has got the backing of the governing body's President AHM Mustafa Kamal, who said the on-field officiating was "very poor".
Hundreds of Bangladesh cricket supporters burnt an effigy of Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar and marched in the capital, Dhaka, after the country was knocked out of the World Cup
Australia will continue to experiment with their batting line-up against Scotland on Saturday as they attempt to give players some time in the middle before the knockout phase, captain Michael Clarke said.
The second part of our exclusive interview with Farhan and Javed Akhtar.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni made no excuses for India's 95-run loss to Australia in the World Cup semi-finals but said the fast bowlers could have done "slightly better" and Shikhar Dhawan should not have attempted a big shot when they were going smoothly.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined that he was confident of an Indian victory after the team crossed the 250-run barrier.
South Africa captain AB de Villiers will turn to his senior players to help lift the team out of the doldrums after they suffered a 'big knock' to their confidence.
I remain the teller of the story, not the story itself, says Harsha Bhogle.
Some New Zealand players may have decided to call time on their One-day or international careers but there will be no immediate announcements to allow Australia to bask in their World Cup triumph, skipper Brendon McCullum said on Sunday.
ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said the issue over the number of teams for the next World Cup is not set in stone and would be reviewed later this year but he does not expect any changes.
The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa's imposing total on Tuesday to advance to their first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years.
'Even when I made 264, I was told I should have made 300. People's expectations are high. Even if you make 300, they expect 350,' said the India opener ahead of Thursday's World Cup semi-final against Australia in Sydney.
While three of their neighbours -- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- crashed out in the quarter-finals, India remain the only team from the sub-continent to make the last four, and make it in style.
South Africa's bowlers backed up a solid batting performance led by captain AB de Villiers' 99 to ensure they qualified for the knockout phase of the World Cup with a 146-run victory over United Arab Emirates.
'As a player, the biggest question you ask yourself is whether you are good enough to be on the same ground as Gavaskar, Dev, Border and company.'
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