Pakistan's strengths in the tournament so far have been its spin bowlers and its lower-middle order with an average of 28 and a strike rate of 94.2. -Photo by AP

NAGPUR:  With 28 league games completed, we are exactly two-thirds into the World Cup qualifying stages. We take a look here at how the nine test-playing nations are shaping up, primarily on their tournament form displayed so far (see also notes below).

Terms:
Economy or run rate = Runs per over
Average = Runs per dismissal
Strike rate (batting) = Runs per 100 balls
Strike rate (bowling) = Balls per wicket

Australia
Strengths:
Batting: Preserving wickets (average of 52.1 runs per dismissal and 182.0 runs per dismissal during powerplays)
High run rate overall (5.6 runs per over)
Bowling: 4.2 runs per over and 16.7 balls per wicket in powerplays
Fast bowling: 3.9 runs per over and 22.8 balls per wicket
Highest number of catches per innings: 5

Weaknesses:
5.2 runs per over scored during powerplays
Bowling: 32.4 balls per wicket
Spin bowling: 85.7 balls per wicket – -

Bangladesh
Strengths:
First (mandatory) powerplay: 5.8 runs per over
Only 6% of runs conceded as extras

Weaknesses:
Batting: average opening partnership (43.0 runs per dismissal); poor run rate overall (4.6)
Powerplay while batting: Poor runs per dismissal (21.9); poor run rate (5.4)
Powerplay while bowling: Poor average (42.9 runs per wicket); poor economy (5.3)
Most number of run outs so far (5)
Bowling: Poor strike rate (37.7 balls per wicket); poor economy (5.3)
Fast bowling: Poor economy (5.6) and strike rate (40.9)
Spin bowling: Poor economy (5.0)

England
Strengths:
Openers: Good strike rate (97.6)
Only 1 run out conceded so far

Weaknesses:
Lower middle order: Poor average (10.8)
Losing too many wickets during the batting (third) powerplay (13.2 runs per dismissal) with poor run rate (6.40)
Bowling: Poor economy (5.5); poor strike rate (36.0)
Powerplay while bowling: Poor economy (5.7)
Fast bowling: Poor economy (5.5) and strike rate (37.3)
Backup bowlers: Poor economy (5.1), average (184.0) and strike rate (216.0)
Extras: Highly profligate (98 runs) with the highest extras (33) in any innings twice

India
Strengths:
Batting: High run rate (6.1); high average runs per dismissal (46.2), High openers’ strike rate (112.0)
High powerplay run rate (6.2)
Strike rate: Fast bowlers (22.3); backup bowlers (42.8)
Fielding: Catches (16) and run outs (4)

Weaknesses:
Bowling: Poor economy (5.2) and average (27.5)
Poor powerplay economy rate (5.5)
Spin bowling: Poor economy (5.0), average (55.5) and strike rate (67.0)
High number of run outs conceded (4)

New Zealand
Strengths:
Openers: High average runs per dismissal (79.0); high partnership average (66.5)
No run outs conceded so far
Bowling: Very good average (19.1) and strike rate (26.5), powered by fast bowling and backup bowlers
Best spin bowling economy (2.3)

Weaknesses:
Middle order: Poor average (33.6)
Poor spin bowling strike rate (90.0)
High percentage of extras conceded (9.4%) – -

Pakistan
Strengths:
Lower middle order: High average (28.0) and strike rate (94.2)
Spin bowling: Good economy (4.1) and average (16.7)

Weaknesses:
Batting: Poor average (28.5) and run rate (5.3)
Openers: Poor average score each (11.6), strike rate (62.4) and partnership average (15 runs)
Middle order: Poor strike rate (74.6)
Powerplay while batting: Poor average runs per dismissal (27.3)
Powerplay while bowling: Poor average runs per wicket taken (28.4)
Backup bowlers: Poor economy (5.1) and strike rate (57.0)
High extras as a percentage of runs scored (11%)
Low number of catches per innings (2.3)

South Africa
Strengths:
Middle order: Good average (60.7) and strike rate (93.1)
Overall bowling: Good economy (4.0) and strike rate (25.6), especially during powerplays
Fast bowling: Very economical (3.7)
Spin bowling: Good strike rate (19.2)
High number of catches (4.7) per innings

Weaknesses:
Openers: Poor opening stand average (43.0) and strike rate (73.8)
Poor run rate while batting (5.3), especially during powerplays (5.2)
Poor fast bowler strike rate (36.4)

Sri Lanka
Strengths:
Batting: Good run rate (6.0) and average (46.8) from openers, middle order and lower middle order#
Powerplay while batting: Good run rate (6.4), predominantly due to mandatory powerplay
Spin bowling: Good economy (3.8), average (13.6) and strike rate (21.3)
Backup bowling: High average (19.1) and strike rate (27.8)

Weaknesses:
Economy rate of fast bowlers (4.8)

West Indies
Strengths:
High middle order strike rate (101.4)
Powerplay while batting: Good run rate (5.7)
Bowling: Good average of runs per wicket (19.0) and strike rate (26.0), led by powerplay bowling
Fast bowlers: Good economy (4.1) and average (15.6)
Spinners: Good strike rate (23.4)
Least extras conceded as a percentage of runs scored (3.7%)

Weaknesses:
Batting: Poor average (30.6), due to lower middle order (9.7)
Backup bowling: Poor strike rate (137.2) and average (102.0)

Notes:

* Batting performance has been classified into openers, middle order (numbers 3, 4 and 5) and lower middle order (6, 7, 8) and performance during the powerplays have also been taken into account.

* Bowling performance has been classified into how the fast bowlers, spinners and backup bowlers have performed, again taking powerplays into account.

* The analysis is based on a relative comparison of the batting, bowling and fielding performance by the teams as compared to other test-playing nations.