As New Zealand prepare to take on India in the semi-final of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, here are their previous performances in the semis over the years
India are all set to clash against New Zealand in the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Given India's patchy record against the Kiwis in ICC tournaments, Rohit Sharma & Co. will be wary of the Kane Williamson-led outfit. But the Men In Blue have already beaten the last edition's finalist in their league meeting in Dharamsala. (Scorecard | Full Coverage | Cricket News)
New Zealand will be determined to compete in yet another final of the ICC ODI World Cup in pursuit of a maiden title. The Black Caps have had eight semi-final appearances in the ODI World Cups to date. Let's look at their previous last-four performances and how they fared:
ICC ODI World Cup 1975
In the first-ever ODI World Cup, eight teams entered the tournament and were divided into two groups. New Zealand were in Group A alongside hosts England, India and East Africa. The Kiwis finished second in the group with eight points and qualified for the knockout stage. Their semis opponent were none other than the 'unbeatable' West Indies, who would dismissed them for 158 with Bernard Julien taking 4/27. Despite the Black Caps putting up a brave performance with the ball, the Windies ran away with a win and later on, would be crowned the inaugural champions.
ICC ODI World Cup 1979
Four years later, New Zealand again produced a quality performance that saw them qualify for the back-to-back semi-finals. After finishing second in Group B alongside the West Indies, the Kiwis were pitted against the hosts England. Led by Graham Gooch's 71, English posted a decent total of 221/8 in the allotted 60 overs. New Zealand started the reply well thanks to John Wright's 69 but regular wickets did not help their cause as they faltered and ended up losing by nine runs in a keenly contested match.
ICC ODI World Cup 1992
The Kiwis failed to qualify for the knockout rounds in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups but in the 1992 edition which was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the Black Caps did put up a show for their home crowd. In the semis, New Zealand took on Pakistan; and skipper Martin Crowe opted to bat first. His team put up a formidable total of 262/7 against Imran Khan's side. In reply, the Men In Green chased down the target thanks to Inzamam-ul-Haq's 60. Another wasted opportunity for the Kiwis.
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ICC ODI World Cup 1999
The seventh edition of the ODI World Cup saw it come back on the English shores but some part of the matches were played in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the Netherlands. The tournament witnessed 12 teams playing a total of 42 matches. New Zealand were part of Pool B and after finishing third, they would go on to qualify for the Super Six. The Kiwis finished fourth after having won two games and then made it to yet another semi-final. Playing at Old Trafford, Stephen Fleming's men played Pakistan and were bowled out for 241. Pakistan chased it down with ease, for a nine-wicket win, thanks to Saeed Anwar's unbeaten 113.
ICC ODI World Cup 2007
In this tournament, teams were divided into four Groups -- A, B, C and D. The Kiwis were placed in C alongside England, Kenya and Canada. The Kiwis topped their group and went on to qualify for the Super 8 stage where they finished fourth thanks to their five wins. The Kiwis were pitted against Sri Lanka in the semi-final and were completely blown away by Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 115. In the second half, Muttiah Muralitharan bamboozled the Kiwis (4/31) as the Black Caps lost by 81 runs.
ICC ODI World Cup 2011
The tenth edition was played in India, Sri Lanka, and for the first time in Bangladesh. Two groups -- Group A and Group B -- saw seven teams play each other six times and the top four would qualify for the knockout stage. Kiwis finished fourth in their group and it helped them to qualify for the quarter-finals. Led by the indomitable Daniel Vettori, the Kiwis defeated the Proteas and would play Sri Lanka in the semis. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first in their semis clash. However, Ajantha Mendis (3/35) and Lasith Malinga (3/55) scuppered the plans of a New Zealand fightback as they were bundled out for 217. Kumara Sangakkara and Tillkaratne Dilshan made sure the Kiwis tasted another last-four defeat.
ICC ODI World Cup 2015
New Zealand and Australia co-hosted the 11th edition of the Cricket ODI World Cup. Brendon McCullum's side topped their group A over heavyweights Australia, England and Sri Lanka among others. The Kiwis played the West Indies in the quarter-final and defeated them fair and square after posting a mammoth 393/6. In the semis, the Kiwis played on home turf and thanks to Grant Elliot's heroics, they narrowly defeated the Proteas by four wickets on D/L method. In the final at the iconic MCG, Australia completely blew away the Black Caps, first dismissing McCullum's men for 183 all out. The Aussies lifted their fifth title in fashionable style and ended the Kiwis' dreams of lifting a World Cup.
Also Read: India Vs New Zealand Semi-Final, ICC Cricket World Cup: Kiwis Still 'Handsome Bunch' Without Matt Henry, Says Confident Lockie Ferguson
ICC ODI World Cup 2019
The 12th edition was again held in England and Wales. This tournament saw a round-robin format and the top four teams qualified for the semi-finals. India, New Zealand, England and Australia made it to the final four with the Men In Blue taking on the Kiwis while the Ashes rivalry was reignited with old foes -- England taking on Australia. The Kane Williamson-led Kiwis batted first and posted a formidable total of 239 under seaming and overcast conditions at Old Trafford. Rain played spoilsport and the game would be continued on the reserve day. Team India started poorly and despite some late heroics by Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni, the Black Caps made it to the final of the tournament.
At Lord's, Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first against England. The Kiwis posted a decent total of 241/8. But Ben Stokes played an innings of his life to force a tie -- a first in the World Cup final. In the ensuing Super Over, England scored 15 without losing a wicket. In reply, the Kiwis lost one wicket and would also eventually make 15 runs. But it was Eoin Morgan's men who would take the trophy on the boundary count-back rule (26-17). The Kiwis, thus, suffered yet another heartache.