July 9, 2019 - a day etched in every Indian cricket fan's memory. India vs New Zealand at Old Trafford, Manchester. The Virat Kohli-led side, which started off the tournament so well, did not know its journey would end in such a heartbreaking fashion. One of the most enduring images to come out of that fateful IND vs NZ game was MS Dhoni's run-out that eventually ended India's hopes at the marquee tournament. Kane Williamson's team went on to win the tie by 21 runs which was played across two days thanks to rain. (Match Blog | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
India have already played the Kiwis early in the 2023 edition and beat them comprehensively by four wickets. Williamson did not play the aforementioned tie due to injury but his return could pose a threat to the Men In Blue. But there's no stopping Rohit's side in this tournament. They ended the league stage unbeaten and will look to keep the record intact when the two sides clash on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
Going into the semi-final clash, Team India will be buoyed by the performances of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who hit centuries in their final league game against the Netherlands on Sunday. With the batting firing on all cylinders, the bowling will also require the same level of firepower against the Kiwis. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj have been the backbone of the Indian pace attack and might need to keep the Kiwi batters on their toes, come Wednesday.
As far as the Kiwis are concerned, Williamson's form will give the Black Caps a much-needed boost ahead of the clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The limelight might be hogged by the likes of Kohli and Team India, but one name that's stood on everyone's lips is all-rounder Rachin Ravindra. The young Kiwi has been a sensation in this event by scoring 565 runs at a whopping average of 70.62. He, for the record, is the first player to score three centuries in a World Cup debut campaign.
Ravindra's promotion up the order was a great strategy by New Zealand's think-tank and one that is duly justified by the southpaw's performances. Matt Henry's unavailability might affect their plans but the veteran Tim Southee could come in handy under seaming conditions in Mumbai.
Pitch and Weather Conditions:
Wankhede Stadium has seen some memorable games. The one game that stands out is none other than Afghanistan versus Australia, where Glenn Maxwell's fireworks lit up the Mumbai sky as his double hundred gave the Aussies a much-needed win over the Afghans.
Sides batting first have seen results go their way with the Afghanistan and Australia tie being an exception. India bowled out Sri Lanka for a paltry total of 55 runs after scoring 357 at the same venue.
The maximum temperature is expected to be around 36 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. A bit of haziness around the Mumbai skyline can also expected.
Head-to-head Record:
India have faced New Zealand 10 times at ICC events with the latter winning five games to India's four. One game was a washout. As far as the ODI head-to-head record is concerned, India have played New Zealand 117 times, with the Men In Blue winning 59 to Kiwis' 50. One match was a tie and the remaining seven were washouts.
Pre-match Quotes:
Rahul Dravid, India head coach: "I would be inauthentic if I say that there will be no pressure of semi-final. You have no guarantees to win any game of cricket. What you can do is prepare the best you can and we've been doing that. When it's going well it looks good. One loss and everyone says you don't know anything,"
Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain: "Playing semis is special but playing the home team will be challenging. Looking forward to it if we are fortunate enough to have it."
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
