In the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup, India defeated New Zealand by 70 runs, however captain Rohit Sharma claimed his team played a bit carelessly.
India is poised to make history. The Indian cricket team captained by Rohit Sharma needs one more victory to win the ODI World Cup in 2023. India will compete in their third ODI Cricket World Cup if they win the championship match on Sunday. In the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup, India defeated New Zealand by 70 runs, however captain Rohit Sharma claimed his team played a bit carelessly. He also praised the 181-run partnership between Kiwi batsmen Daryl Mitchell and captain Kane Williamson.
Highlights of India’s 70-wicket victory against New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup quarterfinals at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday included Mohammed Shami’s seven-wicket haul and Virat Kohli’s historic 50th ODI century.
“Any score on this pitch makes it difficult to unwind; I have played a lot of cricket here. I have to work quickly and diligently to finish the task. We anticipated feeling pressured. Despite our slight carelessness on the pitch, we maintained our composure. In the post-match presentation, Rohit stated, “I’m happy we could finish the job, but these things (the partnership between Mitchell and Kane) are bound to happen.”
“If India had scored 30–40 points less, it’s difficult to say if we would have been in trouble. They wouldn’t have accepted such chances. Mitchell and Williamson played excellent batting. was crucial that we maintain our composure. Even as the crowd fell silent, we realised we had to make a catch or run out. Shami was a genius. The top five-six hitters in the league have all demonstrated their ability to make an impact when given the chance. Really happy with what Iyer has accomplished for us in this competition. Gill, you have done a fantastic job of batting for us. Regretfully, cramping forced him to go.”
In addition to accomplishing his historic century, Kohli performed what he does. In the England match, we scored 230 runs, and the bowlers’ use of the new ball was superb. There is pressure to perform every time you play, and today was no exception given that it is the semifinal. We wanted to avoid overanalyzing it and stick to our strategy from the first nine games, even though the semifinals bring a little something additional. The second half was really well received by us,” he said.
India chose to bat first earlier in the day and amassed 397/4 in their 50 overs. With a 71-run opening partnership, captain Rohit Sharma (47 in 29 balls, four boundaries and four sixes) and Shubman Gill (80 in 66 balls, eight fours and three sixes) set the tone for a great start.
As India amassed a mammoth score, Virat Kohli (117 in 113 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) got his 50th ODI tonne, and Shreyas Iyer (105 in 70 balls, with four boundaries and eight sixes) produced his second consecutive WC century. Along with that, KL Rahul scored 39 runs in 20 balls, including two sixes and five fours.
India scored 397/4 in their 50 overs after choosing to bat first earlier in the day. For the Kiwis, the best bowler was SkippeTim Southee (3/100). Also picking up a wicket was Trent Boult (1/86).
Two wickets were lost early on by the Kiwis in their chase of 398. But an 181-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell (134 in 119 balls, with nine fours and six sixes) and skipper Kane Williamson (69 in 73 balls, with eight centuries and a six) kept Kiwis alive and Indian bowlers sweating for answers. Another important knock of 41 was played by Glenn Phillips. To limit NZ to 327 in 48.5 overs, Men in Blue bowled brilliantly in the final overs after Shami’s two-wicket over had turned the tide of the match.
In addition to Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav each claimed a wicket.
Shami was adjudged as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his dream spell.
