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After over a month of cricketing action in England, we’re down to the last three matches at this 2019 ICC World Cup. Just the four teams left fighting for the big title and two of them take the field in the first semi-final today at the Old Trafford.
Virat Kohli’s Indian team are playing Kane Williamson’s New Zealand with the toss at 2:30pm IST. Back home in India though, fans are already in ‘match-mode’, praying for the team to reach Sunday’s final.
The team batting first has won all five matches at Old Trafford at this ICC World Cup but that doesn't concern India captain Virat Kohli.
"It's a stat that I think is connected to pressure and not the pitch, to be honest," Kohli said.
And that's where Kohli thinks India might have the edge in the playoffs.
"We are better equipped to react in these situations," he said, "because we know what these kind of games are and our fan base, and the expectations they bring."
India also has the highest-scoring batsman in the tournament in opener Rohit Sharma, who has struck a record five centuries and a total of 647 runs. He needs 27 more runs to break the record for a single edition, held by Sachin Tendulkar.
While Rohit has been India’s talisman at this World Cup, New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson is the one player the Indian bowling attack will be targetting.
Just look at the stats: Williamson has 28.3% of the Black Caps' runs; he has a tournament-high average of 96.20; he is the only Kiwi in the top 24 run-scorers from the group stage.
Speaking on the eve of the first semi-final of the 2019 World Cup, Indian skipper Virat Kohli also pointed out how he always saw talent in Williamson. In fact, even as scribes asked him about playing against Williamson in the U19 World Cup in 2008, the India skipper went back to the 2007 U19 Test match he played against New Zealand to recollect his first memory of the Kiwi skipper.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson decides to bat first after winning the toss. Both sides make one change. For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson comes back to replace Tim Southee and Yuzvendra Chahal replaces Kuldeep Yadav in the Indian line-up.
Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Trent Boult
Very eventful over! Bhuvneshwar Kumar makes a huge appeal off the first ball. But both the on-field umpire as well DRS turned down the appeal. The ball was missing leg stump after straightening. New Zealand failed to score any runs in the over.
NZ 0/0 in 1 over
Guptill edges to a Bumrah outswinger and skipper Kohli makes no mistake at the second slip. The pressure created by the opening bowlers yielded the wicket.
NZ 2/1 in 4 overs
Henry Nicholls taking his time to settle. Skipper Kane Wiiliamson also not taking any chances against Bumrah.
NZ 8/1 in 6 overs
Finally, the first four of the New Zealand innings in the 8th over. Nicholls hits the last ball of the over through the covers. The Kiwis have decided to accelerate it looks like.
NZ 18/1 in 8 overs
Hardik Pandya into the attack. The all-rounder bowls a good first over, gives away only 4 runs. This is lowest runs scored in the first Powerplay in this World Cup.
NZ 27/1 in 10 overs
Williamson & Nicholls steadying the innings for the side. Only three boundaries in the first 12 overs. The latest one was hit by Williamson off Hardik Pandya - a shot through wide long-on.
NZ 38/1 in 12 overs
Skipper Williamson stepping on the pedal now. Eight runs off Hardik Pandya’s over, including a boundary of the last delivery off the over. With the shot, the duo brought up their fifty partnership for the second wicket.
NZ 52/1 in 14 overs
Pandya walks off the field with a right groin problem. He was stuttering in his running up during his 4th over. Eventually, after completing the over he goes off with and Patrick Farhat. He seems to be in lot off pain.
Chahal comes into the attack. He starts his over with five wides down the leg side. But make a good come back to give away only three runs in the next six deliveries.
NZ 69/1 in 18 overs
First delivery of the over. Good length ball with good bounce, Nicholls plays outside the line. But the bowl from Jadeja spins too much to dismantle the stumps. Jadeja successful in breaking a dangerous looking partnership.
NZ 69/2 in 18.2 overs
It looks like Jadeja is here to prove a point. After dismissing Nicholls, Jadeja bowls a stingy over to give away only one run. The fall of a wicket has again stopped the run flow.
NZ 74/2 in 21 overs
Jadeja bowls another beauty of an over. He again gives only one run in the over. After 7 over he has given away only 24 runs with one wicket of Henry Nicholls.
NZ 79/2 in 23 overs
Pandya back in action after limping off. He gives only four runs in the over. Very difficult to understand New Zealand’s tactics here. Both Williamson and Taylor not showing much intent.
NZ 89/2 in 27 overs
New Zealand bring up their 100 in the 29th over. It has been a painstakingly slow period of game from the Blackcaps but their intent is clear - not to lose any wickets. They have already played more than 100 dot balls.
NZ 109/2 in 29 overs
Skipper Williamson takes a single off Chahal to bring up his second fifty of the competition. He has paced his innings well, took time to settle down. His 50 came off 79 deliveries and contained 5 boundaries.
NZ 113/2 in 30 overs
Bumrah brought back. And he almost gets Ross Taylor dismissed. A leg cutter from Bumrah and Taylor edges it prominently but fails to carry to Dhoni. Apart from a single off the first delivery, no runs in the over. Bumrah continues his good run.
NZ 121/2 in 32 overs
With Ross Taylor really struggling, Kane Williamson was going to take the chance. Chahal tosses one up and Williamson slashes but the ball only takes an outside edge, for a simple catch to Jadeja. Big wicket both for India and Chahal!
NZ 134/3 in 35.2 overs
New Zealand cross the 150-mark. After the loss of Williamson, Taylor and Neesham are trying to up the ante but still not successful in connecting big shots. New Zealand would be looking to score at may be 9-10 runs per over to reach a target of 250.
NZ 151/3 in 39 overs
A massive flick on the leg side from Neesham but only manages to take a big edge. The ball goes high up in the air but Dinesh Karthik runs in to take a comfortable catch at long on. Pandya manages a wicket, finally. It is always nice to see Neesham’s back knowing how dangerous he can be.
NZ 162/4 in 41 overs
This might be the over! Chahal goes for 18 runs in his last over. Ross Taylor has decided to step on the gas. He scores 6, 2 and 4 off the first three deliveries. De Grandhomme hits a boundary off the last delivery.
NZ 197/4 in 44 overs
Grandhomme was deceived by a slower ball from Bhuvi. He planned to hit it down to third man but only managed to edge it to Dhoni as the ball moved in the air.
NZ 200/5 in 44.4 overs
With New Zealand on 211/5 in 46.1 overs, umpires have decided to stop play due to rain.
It has been drizzling since the 44th over but since now it has started raining heavily the umpires have decided to discontinue the proceedings.
When play was stopped, Ross Taylor (67*) and wicketkeeper Tom Latham (3*) was at the crease with 23 balls to go.
Despite a reserve day, the organisers will try to get the match over by today therefore they might employ DLS if the rain continues. The number of overs also might be reduced to the minimum of 20 overs per team needed to achieve a result, or by extending the match by up to 120 min.
But there won’t be any loss of overs for two hours and an extra one hour can be added at the discretion of the match referee.
If New Zealand don’t come out to bat again in their innings, India will need to score 148 in 20 overs. And their DLS-adjusted target for 46 overs would be 237.
The intensity of the rain has reduced considerably. It is more like a light but steady drizzle now. It is bright once again and ground staffs can be seen back on the field.
Former Indian captain Bishen Singh Bedi congratulated the Indian team for a good bowling performance against New Zealand in the first semi-final. But was quick to warn the fans from celebrating prematurely and wait for the match to get over.
“We should let the match get over. We have the habit of jumping to conclusions very quickly,” said Bedi.
After a spell of light but steady drizzle for around an hour, the rain has picked once again. The covers are still on.
If the match fails to start by 23:05 IST then it will be deferred to Wednesday (Reserve Day). But for that to happen the rain first needs to stop by 22:00 IST
The rain has finally stopped but there are a massive puddles of water all over the field. The covers are coming off and the super soppers are out. The umpires are there on the field for the first round of inspection.
If New Zealand don’t come out to bat after the match resumes, then according to DLS method, India would be chasing the following target, depending upon the number of over:
After the inspection, the umpires have gone into the Indian dressing room to inform them about the ground condition. They will also have a discussion with the New Zealand team.
The next and most probably the final inspection will take place at 22:40 IST.
It has again started to rain with the final inspection slated to take place at 22:40 IST.
Much like the last time India and New Zealand played their 2019 ICC World Cup match, play has been called off due to rain.
After a whole lot of ‘will they won’t they’, the umpires have decided to end the speculation and called an end to the day after fresh showers forced the ground staff to bring the covers back on.
Unlike the group stage match between India and NZ many weeks back, the stakes are higher this time round and there is a reserve day for the semi-final.
On 10 July, both teams will resume the match and New Zealand will (hopefully) continue their innings from where they left off, at 211/5 in 46.1 overs.
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