India vs New Zealand Semi Final -Who will win the match ?
The first semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup will be a repeat of the 2019 World Cup semi-final as India take on New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The host nation, India, breezed past all nine opponents to reach the semis with an unbeaten record, whereas the runners-up of the 2019 edition, New Zealand, progressed to the next stage with 5 wins. Except for that shaky start with the bat against Australia in the campaign opener, the Men in Blue have not missed a beat, but their real test starts now as they have been guilty of crumbling under pressure in knockouts.
India and New Zealand set to face each other at semi-final in CWC -2023 on November 16th here in Wankhede Stadium Mumbai. From four teams of semi finalist It will be first clash of semi-final second semifinal clash to reach at final will be played between Australia and South-Africa.
There was a lot of talk about their batting depth before the event, but different individuals putting their hands up across the nine games have diminished those discussions. It has been Rohit Sharma’s positive intent upfront that has helped India get a good head start in their batting effort, and he has been well-complemented by Shubman Gill. The ever-reliable Virat Kohli has been consistent throughout, leading the run-scoring charts for India during the league stage. Returning from injuries, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have repaid the faith shown in them by the team management, while Suryakumar Yadav has impressed in the limited opportunities he has got. Although Ravindra Jadeja has not had much to do with the bat, he has made life difficult for opposition batters with the ball, along with his spin partner Kuldeep Yadav. When Hardik Pandya’s ankle injury ruled him out, it seemed like India’s team balance would take a hit, as would their results in future games. It did not happen, as the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami have fired on all cylinders and outpaced their counterparts comprehensively.
As far as New Zealand are concerned, they were off to an ideal start in the World Cup, winning their first four games. The Kiwis then hit a roadblock with four losses on the bounce and found themselves in a tussle with Pakistan and Afghanistan for a semi-final berth. However, a win against Sri Lanka proved enough for them to reach the semis, courtesy of their superior NRR. In the batting department, Rachin Ravindra has been their find of the tournament, and the southpaw has certainly made the big stage his own with three centuries to his name. Devon Conway’s return to form comes just at the right time, while Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips have ensured that there is no shortage of firepower for the Kiwis. Despite missing out on most of the league games, Kane Williamson has made his presence felt, and expect him to deliver in this all-important game. Mitchell Santer has been successful in spinning a web with his guile and control, and he is one that the Kiwis will bank on against the right-hand batting-heavy India. In the absence of Matt Henry, Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson have stepped up to fill the void, but Tim Southee has not quite had the impact he is known for. Even though India got the better of New Zealand during the league stage, knockouts are a different ball game, and the Kiwis have had the upper hand in ICC events. Will New Zealand break Indian hearts again, as they did during the 2019 semi-final? Or will the Men in Blue continue their dominance and make it to the summit clash? We will find out together.