India Vs New Zealand, Semi-Final, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Mohammed Shami Scalps Seven, India Reach Final; NZ - 327 (48.5 Overs), IND - 397/4 - As It Happened

What a treat these two teams have served us tonight! India are into the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final but boy, did New Zealand played well! Daryl Mitchell's 134 should not go unnoticed. Kane Williamson (69) was good too but until Mohammed Shami decided to change the mood of the party. His spell of 7/57 wrecked havoc amongst the Kiwi batters as they were bowled out for 327. Shami became the second Indian bowler to scalp more than five wickets in a World Cup game and he is the highest-wicket taker at the moment with 23 wickets and counting. (Scorecard | Streaming | Preview | Key Battles)

Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bat first against New Zealand on a placid Wankhede track. The first innings was all dominated by Virat Kohli's 50th ODI ton, surpassing that of Sachin Tendulkar's 49 ODI centuries. Shreyas Iyer too got himself into the century act as he scored back-to-back hundred. For the Kiwis, Tim Southee picked three for exact hundred runs.

12:05 am: Match Report

Record-breaking Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami helped India cross the threshold into the final, where they will meet either Australia or South Africa in the title clash. Read the match report from India's win over New Zealand here: 

India Bank On Home Comforts To Seal Final Return After 12 years

11:05 pm: Goodbye
And with that we bid adieu in what has been an enthralling game at the Wankhede tonight. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Daryl Mitchell and Mohammed Shami have served us with an absolute treat. Another semi-final tomorrow, South Africa vs Australia, should be cracker. Who will join India in the final on Sunday? Catch you tomorrow.

10:58 pm: Captain Speak

Rohit Sharma: "I have played a lot of cricket here, you cannot relax. You got to get the job done as quickly as possible. We knew there'll be pressure on us. We were calm even though we were a bit sloppy on the field. These things are bound to happen, glad that we could get the job done. When the scoring rate is above 9, you gotta take chances. They gave us chances, we didn't take them., Mitchell and Williamson batted brilliantly. We had to stay calm. The crowd went silent, that's the nature of the game. We knew we had to pull something from our sleeves. 

"We tried everything and Shami was brilliant. The top five-six batters, they have made it count. Very pleased with what Iyer has done in this tournament. Gill, the way he batted upfront was brilliant, unfortunately he had to return back. Kohli, as usual, was brilliant, played his trademark innings and got to his landmark. All in all, the batting was superb. That's the template we want to move with. England game, we got only 230 on the board. The way our bowlers bowled upfront, they picked wickets. Today, I wouldn't say there was no pressure. Guys were doing the job. We wanted to do what we've been doing in the first nine games. Things came off really nice."

Kane Williamson: "Firstly, congrats to India. They have played great cricket throughout. They played their best game today. They are a top side and played top cricket. Credit to the guys. Proud of the guys to stay in the fight. Disappointing to go out in the knock-out stages. The effort was there. India are a top-class side. The world class batters just came out and batted beautifully. They got to 400. Was tough as the ball was moving around."

"Credit to India, they outplayed us. Nice to be out there to give us a chance. Fantastic crowd. Slightly one-sided. Special to be here and glad to be hosted by India. As a team, there is real commitment to the cricket we wanted to play. Rachin and Mitchell were special. They played really well. Bowlers chipped in here and there. Lot of fight. Very proud. Ultimately it is moving forward as a team."

10:51 pm: More Mohammed Shami Stats
Most five-fors in World Cups
4 - Mohammed Shami
3 - Mitchell Starc
Shami also became the first bowler to bag three five-fors in a single World Cup edition.

10:39 pm: Player Of The Match - Mohammed Shami
For his seven-wicket haul, Mohammed Shami is adjudged as the Player Of The Match. Well deserved indeed! "I was waiting for my turn. I wasn't playing much white ball cricket. I had in mind, we talk about a lot of things like yorkers and slower balls. I tried to take wickets with the new ball. I try to take as many as I can with the new ball. I dropped the catch of Kane. I felt bad. I tried to take pace off. They were playing their shots. So, I took a chance. The wicket was good. There was the fear of dew. The grass was cut off nicely. The runs were enough. Had dew come in, things could have been bad. The slower balls might not have worked. I feel amazing. This is a huge platform. We lost in the semis in the 2015 and the 2019 WC. Looking to cash in with the chance I have been given. We don't know when all of us will get a chance like this again."

10:36 pm - Stat Attack
India's Mohammed Shami is the first bowler to take seven wickets in an ODI for his country. He's the fifth bowler in the history of the World Cup to seven.

10:29 pm: India Beat New Zealand By 70 Runs, Enter WC Final
Mohammed Shami scalped seven wickets as India have entered the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with their 70 runs win over New Zealand in the semi-final in Mumbai.

10:15 pm: What A Tournament For Mohammed Shami
Another belter of a match for Mohammed Shami who has scalped yet another five-wicket haul. If India are in the finals of the CWC, one reason is Shami. He receives a standing ovation to whichever stand he fields near. So it should!

10:09 pm: Tall Ask For The Kiwis Now
The required Run Rate for the Kiwis has tailed up to 18 rpo. Tall ask despite Daryl Mitchell at the crease.

9:51 pm: What An Over From Kuldeep Yadav
Wankhede crowd applaud Kuldeep Yadav as he bowls a superb over - just 2 runs off the over. Equation: 110 runs | 48 balls. 

9:40 pm: NZ - 266/2, IND - 397/4; Overs 31-40 Highlights
Glenn Phillips missed out a few off his bat as Indian bowlers tightened the screws on New Zealand. A double-wicket burst from Mohammed Shami ensured Kiwis lost Kane Williamson (69) and Tom Latham (0) in the same over. Ravindra Jadeja built dots with newcomer Glenn Phillips as he went wicketless. Daryl Mitchell recorded a splendid 85-ball hundred, back to back against India. Mitchell attacked Shami for a six and then took Mohammed Siraj for 12 runs the next over as the pair of Phillips and Mitchell remain key in the run-chase.

9:12 pm: Daryl Mitchell Calls For Physio, Down With Cramps
Kiwi Daryl Mitchell another batter who has given under cramps. New Zealand need him to stay right until the end. A few tight overs here and India will be all over the Kiwis but the Black Caps need to up the ante now if they are to chase down 398.

9:02 pm: Mohammed Shami's Double-wicket Burst
Mohammed Shami continues to impress in this World Cup as he removed in-form Kane Williamson (69) and Tom Latham (0) in the same over to revive India. With that burst, Kiwis require run-rate has gone over 11 rpo.

8:54 pm: Daryl Mitchell Brings Up His Century
You have be special against this Indian bowling attack to score back-to-back hundreds and Daryl Mitchell has proved that. A ton in Dharamsala and another here in Mumbai, Mitchell is being a thorn in the Indian side.

8:39 pm: NZ - 199/2, IND - 397/4; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Daryl Mitchell-Kane Williamson have stitched a 150-run stand as they are looking unbeatable at the crease. Williamson brought up his 45th ODI fifty whereas Mitchell recorded his fourth 50+ score in the World Cup. The highlight of the phase was Mohammed Shami dropping the NZ skipper in the 29th over. The Black Caps raised 75 runs in this phase for the loss of zero wickets.

8:34 pm: DROP By Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami dropped a catch of Kane Williamson off the bowling from Jasprit Bumrah. With little happening in the middle, how costly could this drop be for Team India?

8:11 pm: Kiwi Pair Standing Strong
New Zealand pair of Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson have stitched up a 109-run stand and going on. Indian bowlers have been left frustrated and it showed as Ravindra Jadeja threw the ball back at KL Rahul but the latter missed to give away needless four runs.

8:01 pm: NZ - 124/2, IND - 397/4; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Despite the two wickets, Kiwi pair of Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell have looked solid at the crease. The Kiwi skipper survived a LBW appeal on 29 off Kuldeep Yadav and also a close run-out call. Mitchell has looked firm as he whacked Mohammed Shami for a six and a four.

7:35 pm: Drinks Break
As we hit drinks, New Zealand have recuperated after losing their openers. Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell are looking firm at the crease despite few close-shave calls. Indian bowlers have no purchase from the wicket as compared to the Sri Lanka game.

7:13 pm: NZ - 46/2, IND - 397/4; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Kiwi openers Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway started off well brightly with the latter hitting two fours of Jasprit Bumrah's first over. But as soon as Mohammed Shami was introduced, it spelt doom for New Zealand. Shami removed Conway for 13 and then dismissed Ravindra for the same score. Indian bowlers finished the phase strongly as Kiwi batters wilted under pressure.

7:05 pm: Mohammed Shami Is On A Roll
Indian bowler Mohammed Shami has just cast his own spell on the ball. He has removed the Kiwi openers with some outstanding bowling. What a tournament he is having.

6:59 pm: Just Breaking!
Pakistan's Babar Azam has stepped down from captaincy from all formats. Read more here

6:46 pm: Kiwi Openers Firm Despite Indian Bowling Missing A Few
Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have been firm in the first five overs and have missed out on few edges against a formidable Indian bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah has been wayward with his lengths but has not seen the lateral movement he got against Sri Lanka.

6:30 pm: New Zealand Begin Run-chase
Kiwi openers Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway are in the crease to chase down the mammoth 398 to earn a place in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Up against them is a fired-up Indian bowling attack. What a battle we have on our hands!

6:16 pm: More from India batter Virat Kohli:
"It's the stuff of dreams. Anushka [Sharma] was sitting right there. Sachin [Tendulkar] was in the stands. It's very difficult to explain this. If I could paint the perfect picture, I would want this to be the picture.

"My life partner, the person I love the most, she is sitting there. My hero Sachin is sitting there. I was able to get the 50th in front of them and these fans in such a historic venue. It was amazing.

"In a big game anything over 330 or 340 you happy with so to get close to 400 is great. A lot of credit to Shreyas Iyer for the way he batted so freely. Also to Rohit at the top, Shubman at the top. Then KL Rahul finishing with a flurry. I think everyone did their roles to perfection, did their jobs for the team. It was a perfect batting performance from us. Just one half of the game is done and we still have to be professional with the ball and do what we have done so far in the tournament."

6:09 pm: Virat Kohli Speaks Post-match:
"This all feels like a dream, honestly. It's to good to true. It feels surreal. I never thought I'd be here ever in my career. Just to help the team so many times. Again a big game today and I played the role I have throughout the tournament so that the guys around me could express themselves. I am glad things came together so nicely and we could put a good total on the board.

"As I said before a lot of times, for me the most important thing is helping the team to win. Whatever it takes to do that, I am ready to do that. Running singles, running doubles, hitting boundaries. Whatever the team wants me to do.

"I have been given a role for this tournament and I am doing that to the best of my abilities, dig deep, bat long. So the others can play around me. I am having that confidence of going into the late overs where I can dominate as well. That's the only key to consistency, I guess. Playing the situation for the team at all times."

5:52 pm: IND - 397/4; Overs 41-50 Highlights
Virat Kohli finally broke the 'duck' as he notched up his 50th ODI century and break Sachin Tendulkar's record. The star batter was applauded by the likes of David Beckham, and the Master Blaster himself. He was eventuall dismissed for 117. Shreyas Iyer too notched up a century as New Zealand saw Lockie Ferguson walk away with an injury. KL Rahul played a blistering innings of 39 as India registered 397 for the loss of four wickets. For the Black Caps, Tim Southee racked up three wickets.

5:47 pm: Sachin Tendulkar Reacts On X To Virat Kohli's Record Century

5:43 pm: Shreyas Iyer's Scripts Record Century
Indian batter Shreyas Iyer's got to his hundred off 67 balls, making him the fastest to score in a World Cup knockout. Earlier, the record belonged to Adam Gilchrist, who had completed the milestone off 72 balls in the 2007 final against Sri Lanka.

5:24 pm: Virat Kohli Is Dismissed
After enthralling the crowd and notching up his record 50th ODI ton, the star batter was dismissed by Tim Southee for 117. Kohli walked back to a rapturous applause from the Wankhede crowd. He has truly entertained on the big stage.

5:12 pm: Virat 'KING' Kohli
And he has done it! Virat Kohli has broken the record and overtaken Sachin Tendulkar by scoring the 50th ODI century. He's also bowing down to Tendulkar now. SRT applauds him back. Wankhede erupts and the chants of 'Kohli...Kohli' echoes wildly around the stadium. Ian Smith on BBC says, "It's absolutely something to behold. Not just witnessing it but to look at the stats. It's like it was written in the stars. An incredible moment."

4:51 pm: Virat Kohli Now Suffers Cramps
Kohli now has called out for a physio with the star batter suffering from cramps. The Mumbai heat hasn't helped things as cameras panned to Shubman Gill who looked great after walking off earlier retired hurt.

4:46 pm: Shreyas Iyer Continues His Sublime Form
Indian batter has notched up his 4th consecutive 50+ score this World Cup and 17th in ODIs. What a tournament he is having.

4:38 pm: Mitchell Santner Bowls A Maiden
Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner bowled a maiden in the 35th over. Despite that, Team India are in line to pile up a huge score against the Black Caps.

4:21 pm: Drinks Interval
With Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli playing as they are, Team India have a brilliant base for 350-plus score. The Question remains - will Suryakumar Yadav walk-in next or will the Indian management send in Shubman Gill to bat?

4:15: IND 214/1; Overs 21-30 Highlights
India lost Shubman Gill (79 not out) to cramps as the opener retired hurt. Shreyas Iyer walked in to bat and went after Rachin Ravindra. Virat Kohli brought up his 72nd ODI half-century. India crossed the 200-mark in the 29th over. Iyer and Kohli brought up their 50-run stand in this phase.

4:07 pm: Sir Viv Richards Praises King Kohli
West Indies great Vivian Richards on-air says, "Virat Kohli is one of my favourite player, I love seeing him play." Game recognises game.

3:59 pm: Celebs In The Stadium
As the match continues to play out, there are some celebs in attendance at the Wankhede. Ranbir Kapoor, John Abraham, Siddharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani amongst others who are here to watch the game.

3:42 pm: Shubman Gill Has Retired Hurt
Earlier Glenn Maxwell and now Shubman Gill. The Mumbai heat has got to Gill who has gone down catching his left leg. Gill has retired hurt and another local boy, Shreyas Iyer walks in to the field.

3:32: IND 150/1; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Shubman Gill joined in the fun as India brought up the 100 in the 13th over. Gill alongside Virat Kohli, punished the Kiwi pacers especially Lockie Ferguson. Gill brought up his 13th ODI fifty. Kane Williamson brought on Glenn Phillips but both Gill and Kohli look comfortable against him. Gill advanced down the pitch and hit Phillips for a six to bring 150 up for India.

3:22 pm: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli Bring Up Fifty Partnership
Indian pair of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli have brought up their 50-run partnership and are looking well set at the crease. Gill has brought up his 13th ODI fifty too.

3:10 pm: Drinks Break
As Players break for drinks in the 15th over, India's Shubman Gill has brought up his 13th career ODI half-century. Him and Kohli are motoring along as they look to build on the momentum built early on by Rohit Sharma.

2:51 pm: IND 84/1; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Rohit Sharma went beserk in the opening stages of the semi-final against New Zealand as he blasted the Kiwi pacers to all corners of the Wankhede stadium. Gill played a quiet knock as he watched his skipper go all guns blazing. Rohit also became the highest six-hitter in the WCs overtaking Chris Gayle. He was initially dismissed by Tim Southee caught by Kane Williamson. Virat Kohli walked in and survived a close DRS call.

2:41 pm: Rohit Sharma's Blitzkrieg Ends
Rohit's power-packed innings has ended thanks to a blinder of a catch from his counterpart Kane Williamson. The Indian skipper walks back for a well-made 47.

2:38 pm: Kane Williamson Looks For A Breakthrough
Kiwi skipper brought in Lockie Ferguson as he looks for a breakthrough with Indian openers looking in ominous form.

2:27 pm: Rohit Scripts Yet Another Record
The Indian skipper has now amassed the most number of sixes in a single World Cup edition.
27 - Rohit Sharma (2023)
26 - Chris Gayle (2015)
22 - Eoin Morgan (2019)
22 - Glenn Maxwell (2023)
21 - AB de Villiers (2015)
21 - Quinton de Kock (2023)

2:20 pm: Chants Of 'Rohit....Rohit' Echo Around Wankhede Stadium
Local boy Rohit Sharma has been in belligerent form in this World Cup, and he wallops another six off Southee this time. Mumbai crowd love that and the chants follow suit.

2:13: Indian Openers Have Put On An Attacking Display
Rohit and Shubman are treating the Kiwi bowlers with disdain at the Wankhede. The Indian skipper danced down the track and clubbed the ball for a six off Boult. What a shot!

2:04 pm: Rohit Sharma Attacks Trent Boult
A fiery start by Indian skipper Rohit Sharma as he blasted Trent Boult for two fours in the first over of the semi-final. Explosive batting at the top of the order has been the formula for India in this World Cup.

1:58 pm: Out Walk The Indian Openers
India's openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill walk out to loud noise at the Wankhede. Kiwis won't mind that, they have been here before. "It's a cauldron", cites Nasser Hussain on-air.

1:55 pm: Action Minutes Away
National Anthems are in. Get your seatbelts ready, popcorn, beverages, etc. This is going to be HUGE! 

1:37 pm: Captain Speak
Kane Williamson: We would have batted first. Looks like a used pitch. Hopefully, some dew later. Amazing occasion. Four years ago, similar situation but a different location. They have been playing some good cricket. Always a building phase between the tournaments. Need to assess what is in front of you when the tournament starts. We are going with the same team from the previous match.

Rohit Sharma: We are gonna bat first. Looks like a good pitch. Looks like on the slower side. Whatever we do, we need to do well. I think it was back in 2019 when we played the semis. NZ is one of the most consistent sides. Very important day. Constantly, talking about how important it is about turning up on that day. It is about controlling the controllables. Same team.

1:35 pm: Playing XIs
New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson(c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham(w), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

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

1:33 pm: India Win The Toss, Opt To Bat
Rohit Sharma has won the toss and has elected to bat first against New Zealand in the semi-final clash at the Wankhede stadium.

1:29 pm: Rohit Up For The Pressure Ahead Of Key Game
India skipper Rohit Sharma said the pressure will be there but says the team has responded well. "Be it a league match or semifinal, the pressure is always there in a World Cup match. We have handled it well from the first game to the last. The team has responded well," Rohit said. "We are focusing on playing good cricket in the next two games. Pressure is always there on us as Indian cricketers. The need is to focus on the game and not on the pressure and challenges from the other side," he added.

1:22 pm: Pitch Report
Pitch Report from Ravi Shastri and Simon Doull: If you look at the spinners' length, it's bare, the spinners will come into play on this surface. As the game progresses, if there's dew, it'll play nicely. When you look at the center of the surface, there's a little bit of grass. There'll be carry for the fast bowlers from a back of a length. You want to bat first in the semi-final. When it comes to second innings, you just have to negotiate the first 20 overs. If that dew becomes a factor, it becomes a lot easier to bat on.

1:15 pm: All Eyes On One Man - Virat Kohli

1:08 pm: Tendulkar Meets Beckham

1:06 pm: Sunil Gavaskar Lambasts 'Different Pitch' Claims
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has lambasted the western media for claiming there's a different pitch that will be used for the IND Vs NZ semi-final match. "I think this is typically, you know, on the eve of the match when you have nothing to write about and then, you know, you try to say something because you want to fill in your columns, you want to talk about pitches and stuff like that. To me, it doesn't make a difference. If the pitch changes after the toss, they certainly have a conversation. But if the pitch is the same before the toss, I don't think any any noise should be made at all," said Gavaskar. 

12:35 pm: Weather Update
On Wednesday, the weather is forecast to be clear throughout the day. It is forecast to be a scorching day in Mumbai, with a high temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and severely bad air quality. The temperature is forecast to drop to 31 degrees Celsius throughout the night, allowing for a complete match in Mumbai. However, there are preparations for an improbable rain delay; if the match cannot be completed on Wednesday, there is also a provision for a reserve day on Thursday.

12:30 pm: India Vs New Zealand Head-to-head Record
India have played 117 ODIs against New Zealand, of which the Men In Blue have won 59 and the All Blacks 50, while seven games have ended with no result and one was tied. India's 59 victories include 30 at home, 14 away and 15 at neutral venues. New Zealand too have notched up a majority of their wins at home - 26 - while 16 conquests have come at neutral venues and eight away.

Despite the recent win in the league stage, India's overall ODI World Cup record against the Kiwis isn't great. The Men In Blue have only won four out of the 10 matches they have played in the 50-over showpiece tournament against the All Blacks. There have been five losses and one game ended in a no result.  

12:05 pm: Preview
So, after 45 league matches, an IND Vs NZ clash will decide who become the first finalists of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The two teams met in Dharamsala during the league stage with Rohit Sharma's team registering a rather comfortable four-wicket win -- one of their nine victories in an undefeated campaign so far. A perfect 10 is a novelty in any sport. And today, India can achieve such a rare feat. New Zealand, meanwhile, picked up after a brief lull, and with skipper Kane Williamson now in fine fettle, can seriously threaten India's run. Expect a thriller in Mumbai.

Welcome to our live coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, first semi-final match between hosts India and last edition's runners-up, New Zealand, being played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. India, the two-time champions, are in their fourth successive semi-final while the Kiwis, still chasing a maiden ODI World Cup title, are one win away from a third back-to-back final. For India, this is a grudge match, to say the least. Four years ago, the Men in Blue, then led by Virat Kohli, suffered a heart-breaking 18-run defeat against the Black Caps in the semis, a Manchester fixture which needed two days to complete.

Phew! Where to start from! Virat Kohli's historic 50th ODI century and Shreyas Iyer's 5th ODI century as India have posted a mammoth 397 in 50 overs against New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final on Wednesday. Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat first. Him along with Shubman Gill (79) blasted the Kiwi bowlers but the Indian skipper was eventually out for 47. Virat Kohli walked in and put up a partnership along with Shubman Gill before the latter walked off retiring hurt. Kohli and Shreyas put on a show of counter-attacking shots to put the Kiwis on the backfoot.

'King Kohli' finally achieved the record as he notched up the 50th ODI ton and break Sachin Tendulkar's record. Shreyas also notched up his fifth century. KL Rahul's well-made 39 too helped India achieve 398 in 50 overs. For the Kiwis, Tim Southee scalped three wickets (3/100).

Squads

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

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Will Young, Ish Sodhi, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson