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India and New Zealand will face off in the first semifinal of the ICC World Cup 2023 today in Mumbai.
The Men in Blue faced a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Black Caps in the last edition of the tournament, but circumstances have changed over the past four years. Notably, the Rohit Sharma-led side is competing at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai which will also provide them home advantage.
If the 2019 World Cup marked MS Dhoni’s final appearance, the 2023 edition could very well be the last for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The team is understandably eager to secure victory for them and for over a billion fans who have been waiting for the past 12 years. However, despite nine consecutive wins, the road to victory is not expected to be easy for the Indian team.
Chasing has proven to be a challenging task for any team at Wankhede in the ongoing ODI World Cup. Thus, the toss can play a significant role. Even though winter has set in, the heat of Mumbai can be taxing on the body, making batting first the ideal choice. The Rohit Sharma-led side has been outstanding with the bat and can back themselves for a repeat performance.
Turning to the Black Caps, they reached the finals in 2015 and 2019, showcasing their consistency in this format. Like Rohit and Kohli, this tournament could mark the end of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee’s ODI World Cup journeys. The trio, together since the U19 days, aims to secure victory for a fairytale farewell.
Overall, both teams boast numerous match-winners, promising an all-time classic on November 15. The victorious team will advance to the finals in Ahmedabad, while the losing team will bear the agony for years to come.
Head-to-Head in ODI World Cup
India and New Zealand have met in 10 matches in the ICC ODI World Cup. India has won four while New Zealand have come as winners in five and one game ended without a result.
The highest total by India is 274, and New Zealand’s highest is 273 when these teams clashed in the WC. The lowest total posted by New Zealand is 146, and India’s lowest is 150 in the marquee event.
Pitch Report
The Wankhede Stadium surface in Mumbai usually favours batters, but batting under lights has been challenging in the tournament. Thus, the skipper winning the toss should elect to bat first, and anything above 340 runs will be a good total on the board.
Probable Playing XIs
India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips (wk), Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boul.
