The semi-finals are here, and so are India and New Zealand. They shall go much, while India’s road so far has been emphatic and euphoric to say the least.
The Kiwis have had their set of turbulences. Now, form-wise, both teams look solid, and let’s be honest, if any team has given the world number one even a slip of competition in this tournament so far, it has been the Black Caps. So, safe to say, we could be in for one hell of a ride. So, it is all happening for the Blues.
Their batting is on stone, and bowling is on fire, especially since the inclusion of Mohamed Shami in the playing XI. They have looked like an all-guns blazing force not many can mess with. Now, Rohit Sharma would not want to tamper with his best XI, and will look forward to their red-hot momentum.
The Kiwis, on the other hand, have struggled with their preferred XI. However, despite being marred by injury, they have shown resilience, and how. Be it Russian Ravindra’s upsurge, or Trent Bowen’s splendid return to form, things are steadily falling into place for them. Talk about the timeliness of it all.
This could be a big match in a challenging venue, and that is precisely where Virat Kohli’s experience comes in. He has had quite a record break in the World Cup, and his average of close to 60 in ODIs at Wankhede will come in handy more than ever, especially versus the Kiwis, against whom he has enjoyed showing off his fireworks. But none of it has stopped the skipper from being New Zealand’s wise old owl.
His ODI average of over 57 since 2019 is, in fact, the best for a Kiwi. A large part of his team’s tenacity comes from his own, doesn’t it? Did you know that skipper Rohit Sharma is the first Indian captain to win all of his first nine matches in the ODI World Cup? Now that is quite a feat. Their opponents are not so far off in the record books either.
New Zealand are, in fact, the only team to reach the semis of every ODI World Cup since 2007. If consistency had a synonym, the Kiwis would make a good choice. Well, speaking of, India has a win percentage of 42.85 in the semis in the ODI World Cup.
Now while they will be itching to increase this, they will be wary of not being able to get a win at this stage since 2011. What will also make it trickier is that they will be facing a black cat, their 2019 opponent, all over again.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, even when you are the host. No wait, hang on, especially when you are the host. And the men in blue will be up and about to undo the heartbreak of 2019.
New Zealand are supremely strong contenders, especially on the biggest stages, but India’s form has been otherworldly in this tournament. And going by just that, the festivities might just be beginning. So watch it all unfold on Disney Plus Hotstar at 2pm this Wednesday, the 15th of November.
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