3 areas where India will have to iron out flaws ahead of the semi-final

As the World's biggest cricketing carnival moves towards the business end, four of its finest competitors will be gearing up to cross the final two frontiers that lie ahead. With the stage set for the semi-finals, Australia, India, England and New Zealand will be keen on bringing their best game to the fore to conquer their dream of being crowned as the World Champions this year.

However, the teams will have to address their respective issues if they are to put on a flawless show against strong oppositions in testing conditions.

And just like the rest of the sides, India too will have to overcome a few challenges to march ahead in the tournament. Set to take on Sri Lanka at Leeds on Saturday, Virat Kohli and his men will be looking to iron out flaws in 3 areas ahead of their semi-final clash.

1 The middle order conundrum

India's batting fortunes in the ongoing World Cup have been majorly shouldered by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli thus far. The batting line-up has been hinged on the form of these two superstars throughout the competition and the semi-final is expected to be no different.

However, a rare failure of either Sharma or Kohli has left the team's middle order exposed. The likes of Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav have not been able to capitalise on good starts and haven't converted them into substantial scores. The team will be hoping that its middle order finds a rhythm against Sri Lanka and rises to the task if the need be.

2 Scoring towards the end

The games against Afghanistan, England and Bangladesh have seen Team India's batting fizzle away towards the end. The middle and lower middle batsmen have failed to accelerate in the death overs to build on a solid platform laid by the top order.

With its most trusted knight, MS Dhoni, not being in the best of his forms, the team has been found wanting for finishers in the final 10 overs. While Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya have shown glimpses of their hard-hitting abilities, it is important they stay at the crease during the crunch time and deliver the goods when needed.

3 Mohammed Shami's death bowling

India's game against Afghanistan saw Mohammed Shami make a roaring comeback into the team. Scalping 4 wickets, including a hat-trick, the speedster played a crucial role in helping India clinch a thrilling win. The subsequent games, against West Indies and England, too had Shami among the wickets to make him a potent weapon in Kohli's arsenal with the ball.

However, the fast bowler's inability to control runs in the death overs is fast turning into a headache for the team management. While Jasprit Bumrah and his immaculate Yorkers have made life tough for the batsmen at one end, Shami's inconsistent lines and lengths have leaked runs from the other. The 28-year-old was taken for plenty in the previous two games. He will be looking to get things right against Sri Lanka on Saturday before India head to the semi-final.