Last Update on: November 15th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
India and New Zealand face off each other in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2023 in Mumbai on November 15, Wednesday. This is in many ways a rematch of the 2019 World Cup semi-final when the Kiwis beat the Men in Blue to knock them out of the semi-final.
Team India are on a nine-match winning run but has failed to cross the semi-final hurdle in the last two editions of the tournament. They lost to Australia in 2015 and the Kiwis in 2019. They have a big chance at home now to end the trend and qualify for the final.
The team had a good hit out against Netherlands scoring 410 runs with the bat. The batting order had a nice hit-out session as well with Rohit, Gill, and Kohli scoring fifties and KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer notching up centuries. The bowling attack had another good day with the pacers sharing the wickets between themselves. Mohammed Shami had a wicketless spell but still bowled well.
New Zealand won their last match against Sri Lanka to set up the IND vs NZ semi-final clash in Mumbai. They won their first four games on the trot. Starting with the loss against India, they lost their next four games before a win against SL helped them cement their spot in the semis.
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Rachin Ravindra has been the stand-out player from the Kiwis so far. He has scored 565 runs in nine games at an average of 70.62 and has been the key player at the top for the Kiwis. With the ball, Mitchell Santner is the top wicket-taker with 16 wickets at an average of 24.88. He will have a role to play in the semi-final.
Thus the stage is set up in Mumbai for another big game with the venue being a high-scoring one. Something similar should be on the cards once again.
IND vs NZ Match Preview– ICC World Cup 2023, Semi-Final 1
India
Since the injury to Hardik Pandya in the Bangladesh game, India has been playing with the same playing combination since the New Zealand game. They have been consistent in doing that and the inclusion of Mohammed Shami has turned out to be the real deal for India.
The team is expected to perform in this rich vein of form and cricket experts have been very vocal about the fact that this Indian team has no weaklings at the moment. It is all about holding your nerve and performing to the best of your ability in the semi-final.
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav
New Zealand
New Zealand started with four consecutive wins but lost their track as they lost their next four games. A good win against Sri Lanka helped them cement a spot in the semi-final. It was almost a perfect game with their bowlers getting the opposition out under 200 and then their batters chasing the target down in less than 25 overs.
The injury and absence of Kane Williamson hurt the Kiwis in the matches that they lost. However, he has scored runs in the matches that he has played and his leadership will be tested in the semi-final against India. Given India’s inclination to bat first, the Kiwi new-ball bowlers will be key to picking up quick wickets like they did in the last semi-final.
The Wankhede pitch aided the pacers in the first 20 overs as the Indian bowlers proved in the match against Sri Lanka. The battle between the Kiwi pacers and the Indian top order will almost decide the result of the game.
New Zealand Squad
Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young
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