India vs New Zealand Live Score, World Cup Semi-Final: Shubman Gill scored a cracking 13th ODI fifty and along with Virat Kohli, continued to score at a brisk pace after India lost captain Rohit Sharma for a quickfire 47. Rohit and Gill put on 71 runs for the opening wicket, …Read More the skipper’s knock including 4 fours and 4 sixes before Tim Southee gave New Zealand a much-needed breakthrough. Gill then kept up the pace, notching up 79 in 65 balls but he ended up having to retire hurt in the 23rd over. Virat Kohli then found his touch after scoring his first ever World Cup knockout half-century and his second overall and he has set up another strong stand with Shreyas Iyer. The stand eventually crossed 100 as well with Iyer putting up yet another half-century and then, the Wankhede watched on with bated breath before exploding as Kohli became the first player to score 50 ODI centuries. He broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record, who was among those in the stands standing up and applauding for Kohli.
Both India and New Zealand are playing with the same teams that they fielded in their final group stage games. When the World Cup got underway on October 5 last month, what were the odds that one of the semi-finals would feature a repeat of last year’s knockout. India vs New Zealand. No one, especially if you’re an Indian cricket fan, can forget the night of July 10, 2019, when with a heartbreaking run-out of MS Dhoni, which also marked the great man’s last international appearance, India’s marauding World Cup campaign came to a screeching halt. They were the toppers at the conclusion of the league stage, having lost just the one game – to England – but as unfair as it was, India came short on the reserve day as ’40 minutes of bad cricket’ sent them crashing out. It was a blow to the gut and even Virat Kohli couldn’t hide his emotions in the press conference.
Four years later, as fate would have it, the two teams are back taking center-stage at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. And for both India and New Zealand, it’s an opportunity to lay their World Cup demons to rest. Like India, New Zealand haven’t won a World Cup either, and even though they have one additional ICC title in their trophy cabinet – the World Test Championship – the BlackCaps have a huge monkey on their back too. Finalists in 2015 and 2019 World Cup, semi-finalists in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup, the Kiwis want to end this hoodoo of their own.
There are so many similarities between the two teams. Both India and New Zealand were at one stage undefeated with four wins from four matches, but while the Men in Blue stretched it to an unprecedented 9-0, the Kiwis stuttered to lose four on the bounce – against India, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. And yet, battling all mathematical calculations and after defeating Sri Lanka, their path to the semis was sealed – not because they were ruthless – but mostly because teams like Pakistan and England underperformed and Afghanistan and the Netherlands punched above their weight.
Another coincidence is that if India lost Hardik Pandya to injury, New Zealand were dealt a blow of their own when Matt Henry was ruled out. They flew Kyle Jamieson, the tall all-rounder in, but he is yet to get a game. And the narrative is expected to remain the same against India. Frankly. with the old yet reliable new-ball bowling pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee reuniting, backed up by the searing pace of Lockie Ferguson, there is no need. As for their options with the bat, it’s an in-form top order. Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway have scored runs in bulk and would be keen to put the fiery Indian bowling line-up under the pump.
But it’s easier said that done. This Indian team is something else. There have been so many outstanding Indian teams in the past, but none had the aura of invincibility this unit under Rohit seem to possess. They have not only remained unbeaten this far but is the only team that has bowled out oppositions in all games. Two out of the top five leading run-getters this World Cup are Virat Kohli and Rohit, while Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja are among the top 10 highest wicket-takers. All five batters in the top order have smoked hundreds in the tournament, and two bowlers have combined to pick three 5-wicket-hauls. This team is on its way to glory and despite history backing them, New Zealand need to play out of their skins to stop this Indian juggernaut from cruising to the World Cup final.
Below are some important pointers surrounding India vs New Zealand World Cup semi-final match:
– India won toss and chose to bat
– Rohit got India off to a flier, scoring 47 in 29 balls
– Gill kept them going but retired hurt on 79 off 65
– Virat Kohli scored his first World Cup knockout half-century
– Kohli went on to convert that to a century, thus breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI tons and becoming the first to 50 centuries in the format
– Shreyas Iyer then raced past 100 in 67 balls, his 2nd consecutive century
– Form Guide: India – WWWWW, New Zealand – WLLLL.
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