“Now they have gotta push for two, who’s gonna cover the keeper stumps, they’re gonna go or they gonna get him. It’s the direct hit, is this the World Cup?”. New Zealand didn’t win the World Cup in the end but Guptill surely shattered the hopes of over a billion people with Dhoni’s runout.
After 45 group-stage games, it feels like we were destined to see version 2.0 of Semifinal 1 2019. India qualified in just their initial 7 games, whereas New Zealand depended on other games’ results even after their last group stage match, but isn’t it the same as we saw in 2019?
Semi-Final 1 of the 2023 World Cup will be played at Wankhede on the 16th of November. It’s the same ground where India lifted the trophy 12 years ago. Can India win this game and come one step closer to their 9-year streak of not winning any ICC tournament? We will cover this match in detail and a Dream 11 team will be provided at the end.
Team Preview
India
India entered the tournament as favourites and is playing like their reputation. Till now, they are unbeaten in 9 group stage games, courtesy of their complete team effort. India never looked out of control and won each of their game with complete ease. New Zealand was the only team (along with Australia in the initial 5 overs of the second innings) to present some challenge and India are facing them only in the semifinals.
Indian batting has looked completely top-notch. Their 2 big men have scored 500 runs each and the last match against the Netherlands (where they both scored a half-century) was the only one where none of them posted an 85+ score. Shreyas Iyer has found his touch and played knocks of 75+ in the last 3 matches with a 128* in the last match.
KLR performed in the first match (97*) and stitched a partnership with Virat to tackle India after 2/3 in a chase of 200. He also scored a 100 against the Netherlands. Suryakumar Yadav scored a valuable 49 against England to help India post a respectable score of 229. Shubman Gill is also in form now and is one of the top 5 batsmen to score 50 against the Netherlands.
Coming to India’s bowling, it is the best bowling unit India ever had in a World Cup campaign. Each of the 5 bowlers has taken 10+ wickets and 3 of them are in the top 8 wicket takers. With a filter of at least 15 overs, Indian bowlers Bumrah and Jadeja are the top 2 economical bowlers with Kuldeep and Shami at the 4th and 7th spot respectively.
New Zealand
The Kiwis started the tournament with 4 out of 4 wins. England got demolished in the tournament opener whereas New Zealand defeated some easy teams in the next 3 matches. Their next 3 games were against the 3 semi-finalists of WC 2023 and all of them defeated the men in black. The Kiwis were quite unlucky in the game against Pakistan but comfortably defeated Sri Lanka to strengthen their chances for the top 4.
Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell are the best batsmen for New Zealand in this tournament. They both are in the top 10 run-getters and would be the key for New Zealand against India. Opener Conway scored 152* in the tournament opener but found it difficult to perform further with 0 50+ scores. Captain Kane is back after injury and has looked in great touch in the 3 games he played.
Mitchell Santner is the best bowler with 16 wickets in 9 games. Moreover, his economical bowling (4.81) is an advantage for New Zealand. Boult has clinched 13 wickets and he along with other pacers would look to repeat the 2019 football scores when bowling against the Indian top order.
Pitch Report
The Wankhede Stadium with its consistent bounce and carry, is a paradise for stroke play, and the short boundaries amplify the advantage for the batting side. In the previous four World Cup matches here, three 350+ totals while batting first have been recorded.
Despite its batting-friendly nature, seam bowlers find assistance on this pitch, accounting for 47 out of 58 wickets in matches held here. Bowlers like Coetzee, Jansen, and Shami have reaped the benefits.
Chasing under lights at Wankhede has proven challenging, with seam bowlers becoming particularly lethal in the second innings. Considering both teams have quality pacers, winning the toss could play a pivotal role in deciding the outcome. The team that bats first may have a strategic advantage.
Pitch Stats in World Cup 2023
- Total Matches Played: 4
- Matches Won Batting First: 3
- Matches Won Batting Second: 1
- Average First Innings Score: 342
- Average Runs Per Over: 6.13
Probable Playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Gleen Philips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson.
Players To Watch Out For
Virat Kohli
King Kohli is the top scorer of the 2023 Cricket World Cup with 594 runs in 9 matches at an average of 99. He didn’t play according to his reputation in the previous 3 World Cups but has shown the world why he is the best in this format.
In India’s first match of the tournament, he was the saviour along with KL Rahul. He scored his first century of the tournament against Bangladesh but missed it by just 5 runs against New Zealand. He has the chance to complete half a century of ODI centuries against the same team on Wednesday. Virat has 7 50+ scores with 2 centuries in this World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah
The spearhead of India’s bowling department is the reason for India’s success throughout the tourney. India lost 2 major tournaments (ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and WTC Finals 2023) and his absence was the prime reason for this.
Bumrah has 17 wickets averaging 15.65 and is India’s highest wicket-taker (5th overall). His economical bowling is another reason to call him the best bowler of this season. Bumrah is India’s main death bowler but still conceded runs at just 3.65 runs per over (best in the tournament).
Daryl Mitchell
Darryl Mitchell is one of the most versatile and talented players in the Kiwi squad, showcasing his prowess in the ongoing World Cup with an impressive record of 418 runs in 8 innings at a striking rate of 111.
Mitchell has the ability to deliver under pressure, which makes him a player to watch out for. We saw an outstanding performance against the same opponent in the group stage where he scored an impressive 130 off 127. Once settled, Mitchell possesses the capability to dismantle the opposition with his lethal hitting.
His knack for performing in crucial knockout matches, evident in his stellar record in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals, positions him as a key player for New Zealand in the upcoming semi-final against India.
Trent Boult
Trent Boult, renowned for creating early disruptions and providing crucial headstarts to his team, remains a vital player to watch in the upcoming semi-final. He has consistently troubled all three batters of the Indian top order over the years. In the 2019 semi-final against India, Boult dismissed the big fish Virat Kohli.
Given India’s reliance on the formidable duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Boult could emerge as a game-changer for the Kiwis if he manages to dismiss one or both of them during the powerplay overs. His knack for striking early blows could significantly impact the course of the match and tilt the balance in favour of New Zealand.
IND vs NZ Dream11 Team for 1st Semi-Final of 2023 WC
Note: This is not our final Dream11 Team as we are not aware of the Toss Result/Final Playing XI of both teams at this moment.
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