IND vs NZ: The trumpets are blown, the fans are roaring, and the pitch of Wankhede is all set to grace the biggest cricket extravaganza of the year! Yes, you are right, the Men in Blue is all set to face Black Caps in the first semi-finals of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Indian team is breathing fire as they have managed to end the league stage with an unbeaten record at the top of the Points Table. They will aim to continue their unbeaten record & march into the finals without any loss in their kitty.
On the other hand, New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka in their last fixture to book a spot in the semi-finals. They have done well in this tournament & will look ahead to deliver a similar performance in this crucial Semi-final clash. New Zealand has defeated India in the 2019 Semi-finals & will take the motivation from that win. India has defeated the Kiwis in their last four matches & will take the positive of that win marching into the semi-finals.
TEAMS PREVIEW
India Preview
Rohit Sharma’s confidence & determination have grown with each passing game. The team has registered big wins in the tournament & has defeated all the teams in their competition. They will aim to continue the same winning momentum in the semi-finals. They have managed to beat the Kiwis in a league-stage fixture & will hope to repeat the same magic in the semi-finals in picture. They are aware of the strengths & weaknesses of New Zealand & will aim to work on the same when they face New Zealand in the crucial semi-finals.
Rohit Sharma has scored more than 500 runs in the tournament & has given good starts to the team. He will look ahead to give the team the same start along with Shubman Gill in the all-important semi-finals. Coming to ‘King Kohli’ he has been in phenomenal form & will look to deliver crucial runs in the middle order along with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja are good finishers, making it a strong batting line-up.
In the bowling attack, India looks well settled as they have managed to dismantle the opponents’ batting order. The team will expect crucial wickets from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj in this game, as the Kiwi top order has been in good form. Mohammad Shami adds power to the attack & will look to deliver by dismissing key batters in the middle & death overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja have bowled well as a pair and will look to do the same in this game. Overall, India looks well-settled & the favorite to win this clash against New Zealand.
India Predicted Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand Preview
Kane Williamson & Co has defeated Sri Lanka in their last fixture to march into the semi-finals. Their side displayed an all-round show when the team needed the most. Kiwis lost their previous four matches but still bounced back in style. Williamson will be eager to repeat the heroics of 2019 where they knocked India out of the tournament in the finals. But this time the challenge is different as the Indian team looks settled in every aspect.
Devon Conway has done well & will try to deliver a blistering start to the team with his partner Ravindra who has proved his prowess in the tournament. Williamson looks set at No 3 & will anchor their innings along with Darryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman. Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, and Mitchell Santner are good hitters who add depth to this batting line-up.
The team will expect a good start with the new ball from Trent Boult & Tim Southee. The duo has done well with the ball & will expect to continue doing well in this game as well. Lockie Ferguson did well against Sri Lanka and must bowl tight spells in the middle overs with Santner. Phillips and Ravindra add variety to this attack and will look to do well in this high-stakes battle. Overall, New Zealand is breathing fire & will try their best to do the unexpected by defeating India.
New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:
Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Pitch & Weather Conditions
The skies in Mumbai will be clear with no chances of rain. We expect a flat surface which will aid the batters to make strokes easily & register big scores on board. The team batting first will aim to post a target of around 350 runs. As the pitch is batter-friendly, batters could score easily on this surface. High high-scoring game is on the card with a flat surface & fast outfield in the picture. The pitch offers assistance to fast bowlers, especially in the first innings. However, spinners can do well as the match progresses.
Toss to Bat first
Three out of four fixtures at this venue have been won by the team batting first. Thus the team winning the toss will aim to make use of a batter-friendly pitch by batting first.
The team winning the toss will bat first.
IND vs NZ
New Zealand & India are marching into this clash with massive wins in their last league-stage fixtures. Both the teams have done well in the tournament & are looking ahead to deliver in this crucial match. While India looks settled in batting & bowling, New Zealand’s bowling attack lacks consistency. They should work on that if winning is on their mind. Considering all facts & team form we think India is the favorite to win this clash against New Zealand.
We Predict India to win this match.
Also read, ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Semifinals, Reserve Day, Prize Money
