IND Vs NZ, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami's Brilliance To The Fore As India Beat New Zealand; Semis In Sight - As It Happened

This was arguably the closest match so far. New Zealand set a target, and India were huffing and puffing by the time the chase was completed, successfully. India and New Zealand entered the 21st match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as the only unbeaten sides, and Dharamsala, even on a foggy day, witnessed two title favourites slug it out until the last run scored. And there were heroes. Virat Kohli for the victors and Daryl Mitchell for the vanquished. And of course, Mohammed Shami, who made a sensational return to action with a fifer. Catch highlights and cricket scores of the IND vs NZ match here. (Scorecard | Match Report | Points Table | Full Coverage)

Bowling first, India dismissed the Kiwis for 273 then chased down the target with 12 balls to spare for a four-wicket win. The result, India's fifth win on the trot, all but assured Rohit Sharma & Co. a place in the semis, well, with four games to spare. Now Tom Latham's team, last edition's finalists New Zealand, despite their first defeat of the campaign, would soon join India in the semis until something dramatic happens in their next four matches. Up next, India face holders England in Lucknow on Sunday, while New Zealand will stay put under the care of Dhauladhar to take on five-time champions Australia, an unmissable Trans-Tasman clash in the Himalayas, a day earlier.

That's it from our side!

Player of the match - Mohammed Shami (10-0-54-5)

India won by 4 wickets!!

Brief Scores:

IND - 274/4 (48) | Virat Kohli (95 off 104), Rohit Sharma (46 off 40); Lockie Ferguson (8-0-63-2)

NZ - 273/10 (50) | Daryl Mitchell (130 off 127), Rachin Ravindra (75 off 87); Mohammed Shami (10-0-54-5)

India win!!

10:15 pm: IND - 274/6; Overs 41-48 Highlights
Ravindra Jadeja gave good support to Virat Kohli and helped India reach the target with 2 overs to spare. Virat was nearing his century and the stage was set for completion, but a slower delivery from Matt Henry got the wicket of Virat Kohli and he was left 5 runs shy of what could have been his 49th ODI century. Virat denied the single before that delivery which took his wicket. Eventually, Jadeja hit the winning runs and India maintained their winning streak in the tournament. New Zealand's unbeaten streak ended in Dharamsala after a 4-wicket loss by the Indian side. 

9:35 pm: IND - 225/5; Overs 31-40 Highlights
KL Rahul and Virat Kohli completed the 50-run stand between them. Rahul got trapped by Santner in LBW and lost his wicket for 27(35). Suryakumar Yadav came and was looking good when he got involved in a horrible mix-up and a brilliant fielding effort from Santner cost him his wicket. Before that, Virat Kohli reached his fifty. Ravindra Jadeja came to the pitch and started with a few boundaries to release the pressure off Kohli. Both have been looking good on the ground together. India is nearing the target. New Zealand need wickets here.

9:05 pm: Big mix-up, SKY goes!
SKY pushed this towards cover and began running, but Virat waited for the ball to clear the fielder. But Santner seized on the ball with a full-length dive, putting Virat in question, and he shifted into reverse. SKY was already close to him at that point. The throw was off and went to Boult, who was in the centre of the pitch and nowhere to be seen. But SKY were too far down the pitch, so Boult under-arm flicked it back to Latham for an easy runout. Santner did an outstanding job on the field. 

8:55 pm: Santners traps KL Rahul!
He came out to defend this flighted delivery, but Santner rushed him as the ball touched the pad before he could get into a solid position and the bat could fall in time. The impact appeared to be direct. You can appreciate the umpire stating no onfield because the batter stepped out, but the lack of bounce and the fact that it struck KL beneath the knee roll played a significant role in the ball-tracker showing yup, that's hitting the top of the middle and leg stump.

8:45 pm: IND - 168/3; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli completed their 50-run partnership. Shreyas Iyer 33(29) departed after Trent Boult targeted him with the short ball. Devon Conway covered the ground a took a catch diving upwards. Rachin Ravindra bowled tight-length balls and kept the batters at bay. Virat Kohli kept rotating the strike and KL also followed him. Virat Kohli smashed a six on the Rachin with the spin towards the cover region. KL Rahul also managed to make runs diligently. India is nearing the target with both batters' efforts. KL and Kohli rebuilt the Indian innings.

8:10 pm: Shreyas Iyer departs!
Iyer's short-ball problems were exploited by Boult. Takes his gaze away from the ball and tries for the pull, but fails to centre it. Conway completes a fantastic diving catch in front of him as the top edge travels towards the deep square leg. India may be dealing in boundaries, but New Zealand is responding with consistent wickets. 

8:00 pm: IND - 121/2; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Tom Latham dropped Rohit Sharma off Mitchell Santner's bowling. Lockie Ferguson bowled out Rohit Sharma after he hit Santner for a six. Lockie Ferguson struck again when he got the wicket of Shubman Gill who gave a catch to Mitchell Santner at third man while trying to play an upper-cut. Shreyas Iyer joined Virat Kohli and smashed some beautiful boundaries. Some clouds interrupted the match for some time but the game resumed in a few minutes. Both batters rebuilt the innings for India. The match was interrupted due to fog for some time, but it resumed after a few minutes. Indian batters are looking in great touch and playing positive cricket. It will be India's match to lose from this point.

7:52 pm: Match resumes
Just as the clouds went off the pitch, the match resumed with no minutes being wasted. Players were ready and so were the umpires. No cut from the overs, it is going to be a full-fledged ODI game.

7:50 pm: What experts say
The pundits on the radio are emphasising that the players will not return to the pitch until the circumstances improve. If this is turned into a 20-over chase, India will need 24 runs off 4.2 overs. 

7:40 pm: Match interrupted due to fog
Play has been stopped due to fog. Things are getting worse. The whole ground has been enveloped by low-hanging clouds/mist. The New Zealand players are upset because they are disagreeing with the umpires. The two hitters have also entered the fray. Players appear to be leaving the pitch. Meanwhile, the two umpires are stationed in the centre. Iyer went off to a fast start, scoring 21 runs off 9 balls.

7:30 pm: India lose both openers
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill went back to the pavilion in quick successions, courtesy of Lockie Ferguson. He first bowled Rohit Sharma and then got Shubman Gill who tried to play uppercut but gave a catch to Mitchell Santner.

7:10 pm: IND - 63/0; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave a rousing start to Indian batting. Rohit started the attack from the first over. He hit Trent Boult for a four on the second delivery of the over and from then, both batters looked in touch and have not given a single moment to Kiwis. Rohit often took the aerial route and smashed 3 sixes in the first powerplay. Shubman played grounded shots and kept rotating the strike. Both batters have looked good and are playing positive cricket at the moment. Rohit smashed six on second last delivery of the first powerplay. 

6:35 pm: India start batting
Shubman Gil and Rohit Sharma opening the innings for India and Trent Boult is bowling the first over. Rohit took the strike and started his attacking cricket from the second ball of the Boult's over. Four runs from the over. India have started the chase.

Innings Break!
In a battle of two undefeated teams, India dismissed New Zealand for 273 all out at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala on Sunday. Mohammed Shami, taking the field for the first time in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, claimed five wickets (5/54) even as Daryl Mitchell hit 130 off 127 balls, laced with nine fours and five sixes. Mitchell was involved in a 159-run stand for the third wicket, helping the Kiwis recover from a precarious position -- 19/2 in 8.1 overs. But India did well to keep the target under 275. India also brought in Suryakumar Yadav while New Zealand named the same team that beat Afghanistan by 149 runs for their fourth successive win. The winners today are expected to have a massive chance of booking a place in the semi-finals.

Target set for India - 274 runs in 300 balls

6:10 pm: NZ - 273/10; Overs 41-50 Highlights
Daryl Mitchell completed his fifth ODI century. He is the second fastest Kiwi batter to reach there after Devon Conway. Glenn Phillips smacked a six off Siraj before Kuldeep got him. Bumrah removed Chapman. But Mitchell kept going from the other end and kept hitting boundaries. Shami got back into the attack and struck twice after he bowled Santner and Henry in consecutive balls. Mitchell hit a six in his last over and then he also removed Mitchell. New Zealand's innings eventually finished for 273 runs all out in 50 overs. Now India need 274 runs to win this match.

5:55 pm: Shami gets a fifer!
Mohammed Shami dismissed Daryl Mitchell in the last over to claim a fifer in the match. Mitchell was trying to go for a big shot, but could not time it well and it went at the deep mid-wicket area where Kohli took a simple catch. 

5:48 pm: Shami bowled Santner and Henry!
Bumrah had already bowled one to Mahmudullah, and now Shami has one against Santner. There wasn't much Santner could have done about it. Excellent execution. Today he has been a revelation. Matt Henry looks to play it with a straight bat and misses the line to be bowled. Superb stuff again from Shami. Credit to the clarity of thought. He just couldn't get in line with the ball as his front foot never moved much. India have turned this around.

5:35 pm: Bumrah removes Chapman!
Chapman finished well in one of the previous games, but not today. Chapman tried for the draw on a short ball and mistimed it. Kohli had the ball dying on him, but he rushed in and grabbed it low. He didn't appear to be able to run in hard this time. Maybe the spikes stick a little too much at times. Kohli, on the other hand, made a great catch. It was a short ball that was also slower. The batter was doomed by a lack of speed.

5:10 pm: NZ - 219/4; Overs 31-40 Highlights
Kuldeep Yadav bowled two back-to-back good overs and created chances to take wickets but Indian fielders are dropping many today. Finally, Shubman Gill took the catch of Rachin Ravindra on Shami's bowling. Bumrah dropped Mitchell's simple catch at long-off. Kuldeep Yadav trapped Tom Latham into his spin web. Glenn Phillips came to the pitch and started slow. With Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in the death overs, things could be worse for India. Indian fielding has been very bad so far. Need to convert the chances into success.

4:55 pm: Kuldeep trapped Latham!
Kuldeep finally receives his due after bowling brilliantly in the closing few minutes. Should have had Ravindra earlier; now he has Latham. He's been getting lefties with a smarter, faster skidder. Latham ran back on the flip and was outpaced, the impact was in line with the leg stump, and Latham walked off after viewing the footage. He also brings the review with him.

4:35 pm: Rachin is gone!
Finally, after three missed opportunities, India holds on to one. Shami's off-cutter, Ravindra, tries for the loft across the line, wanting to land it squarer but picking out long-on to perfection. Ravindra's crucial innings have come to an end. Shami now has two. India has broken a 159-run stand. 

4:23 pm: NZ - 147/2; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Daryl Mitchell continued to put pressure on Kuldeep. Hits him another time for six. Rachin Ravindra gets to yet another fifty. The 100-run partnership was also completed between the two. Daryl Mitchell reaches his second half-century of this World Cup. Rachin Ravindra took a review and got saved this time also. KL Rahul dropped a tough catch of Daryl Mitchell. Indian fielders have looked mediocre except for that Shreyas Iyer catch of Devon Conway. Both batsmen are scoring runs easily and their partnership is also reaching nearly 150 runs.

3:33 pm: NZ - 91/2; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell have successfully rebuilt the New Zealand innings after Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj gave India a dream start. Rachin was given out for the appeal of being caught behind. He took DRS and the decision was changed to not out. Ravindra Jadeja dropped a simple catch of Rachin Ravindra at the point. Kuldeep gets introduced into the attack and bowled well. Rachin and Mitchell targeted Kuldeep in the 19th over and hit him 2 sixes off the over. New Zealand batters are playing spin well at the moment. India players need to utilise the chances when it comes. 

3:25 pm: Kuldeep concedes two sixes!
Kuldeep Yadav gets back into the attack and Rachin Ravindra welcomed him with a six. After that, he took a single and gave a strike to Mitchell who also stepped out and smashed an 89-metre six. 

2:54 pm: NZ - 34/2; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Jasprit Bumrah started with a maiden over for India. Mohammed Siraj bowled in the right areas and kept the lengths tight. Devon Conway lost his wicket to Mohammed Siraj when Shreyas Iyer took a sharp catch at the square leg. Bumrah and Siraj kept creating pressure. Mohammed Shami gets introduced in the 9th over and bowled Will Young on his very first delivery of this year's World Cup. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell at the crease. New Zealand need to soak the pressure and add runs. Indian bowlers are on the roll in Dharamsala. 

2:40 pm: Shami bowled Will Young!
Mohammed Shami came into the attack in the 9th over and struck with the first ball. Will Young could not read the line and tried to cut it. The ball was close and went into the wickets. Will Young goes after making 17(27).

NZ - 26/2 (9)

2:16 pm: Siraj gets Conway!!
Mohammed Siraj gets the wicket of dangerous Devon Conway. Conway connected the ball fine which was targeted onto the pads. Shreyas Iyer took a very sharp catch coming from the square leg. Conway went back without scoring. A wicket maiden from Siraj. India is up in the match. Rachin Ravindra comes to the crease. 

NZ - 9/1 (3.3)

2:02 pm: New Zealand start batting
New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Will Young took their stance in the middle with the ball in Jasprit Bumrah's hands. Bumrah bowled a fuller delivery and went past Devon Conway without touching his bat, Virat appealed dramatically. No response from any players. Maiden over to start with. Kiwis are in no hurry. 

1:30 pm: Toss Update

India have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w/c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

1:35 pm: What both captains said
Tom Latham: We would have also bowled first. It appears to be a nice surface, and we know dew will fall. The key thing is that whatever we do, we do it well. We must maintain our momentum. We are in new territory with new conditions, and we must adapt as rapidly as possible. Today's team consists of three seamers and two spinners.

Rohit Sharma: We'll start with bowling. We were here exercising yesterday and saw some dew coming in. We'll back ourselves to chase after what appears to be a decent pitch. It is critical to maintain momentum and to forget about the past. It is necessary to be present at all times. Everyone likes to come here to play because of the wonderful weather and good stadium. Hardik and Shardul are both unavailable. We have Shami and Surya.

1:20 pm: Pitch Report
Due to the lack of grass in Dharamsala, it will be on the slower side. What one must be concerned about is the amount of dew that falls. Because it is much cooler here, that will be considered as well. This pitch will be slower, but it will still be an excellent wicket to bat on. Despite the dew, teams should not be frightened to bat first, according to Ravi Shastri and Simon Doull. 

12:30 pm: Head-to-head 
India and New Zealand have met in 116 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), with the IND versus NZ head-to-head record favouring India. Team India has a 58-50 head-to-head record against New Zealand, with one match ending in a draw and seven matches ending without a result.

IND   58  -  50   NZ    

Tied: 1        No Results: 7

IND Vs NZ Head-to-head in ICC Cricket World Cups
In the ICC Cricket World Cup, India and New Zealand have met nine times. New Zealand has a stronger record in the World Cup, having defeated India five times. India has won three matches and one game was abandoned.

IND   3  -  5   NZ

No Result: 1

New Zealand have an 8-1 advantage over India in ICC events since the start of 1990, their only defeat coming at the 2003 World Cup

12:09 pm: Weather Conditions
There's a chance of rain here at Dharamsala. However, it shouldn't play a spoilsport as the day progresses. With the weather quite cool, expect the pacers to have a great time in the middle.

Preview:

India take on New Zealand in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 fixture on Sunday in Dharamsala. The two unbeaten sides in the tournament, come on the back of commanding wins in their respective games. Rohit Sharma-led team thrashed Bangladesh by seven wickets whereas Tom Latham's side demolished Afghanistan by 149 runs.

India, have some selection issues of their own. Hardik Pandya hasn't travelled with the team as he is nursing an injury. There are talks of Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami getting the nod but the former was struck on the elbow during practice and will wait to see what's the latest update. Talking of Dharamsala, India has played 4 matches at the venue and have a 2-2 win/loss record. Their last match here was against Sri Lanka in 2017 where they lost by seven wickets.

In the case of the Kiwis, their regular skipper Kane Williamson is still out with a thumb injury. Tom Latham continues to lead the side in his absence and what a run it has been for the 2019 WC Runners-up. Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner are in supreme form whereas their top-order of Will Young, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra are firing all cylinders. It is going to be an interesting clash between these two teams who are yet to register their first defeat of the tournament.

Squads:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami

New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w/c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, James Neesham.