ICC World Cup 2019: Glenn McGrath picks India and England as favourites

Chennai, March 22: Australian great Glenn McGrath picks India and England as the favourites to win the ICC World Cup 2019 and said the bowling unit will be crucial to the fortunes of Virat Kohli's men in the 50-over showpiece.

McGrath also said Australia's come from behind series win in India have improved their chances of winning the World Cup which begins on May 30 in the United Kingdom.

"The top two teams are going to be England and India. England had a tough time in West Indies and India lost to Australia. So, the competition will be tighter. Australia's chances have improved after their ODI and T20 win over India," McGrath told reporters.

"The fact that Australia won the T20 series and the ODIs in India will boost their confidence. With those two (Steve Smith and David Warner) coming back, the team will be strengthened and those players were missed during the Australian summer," he added.

Laxman's picks for the 2019 World Cup

McGrath in fact wasn't surprised with the "exceptional" show of Indian pacers during their Australian tour earlier this year.

"I was not surprised ... they did exceptionally well. They bowled well as a unit and there was no weak link there. I think the pace they bowled at, the consistency and control, they really impressed me," said the 49-year-old who took 563 Test wickets in 124 matches between 1993 and 2007.

"Ishant (Sharma) is very experienced, Bhuvneshwar is your senior bowler and he needs to be bowling well. He is an intelligent cricketer and the (Mohammed) Shami is doing well.

"I was particularly impressed with Bumrah, he was exceptional. The way he bowls his yorkers and if there is some reverse swing, he is going to be dangerous. And the pace he bowls the yorkers makes him really unique. So, the bowlers have to perform if India is to win (the World Cup)," McGrath added.

(With inputs from PTI)