The question arises: is India's formidable armor starting to show signs of wear and tear? Surprisingly, India's aura has only strengthened, becoming more imposing as nine different teams attempted in vain to breach it.
During a recent training session, a member of the support staff threw balls at Ishan Kishan from close range, and he nonchalantly dispatched them into the stands, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. On the preceding evening, Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a delivery to Virat Kohli. Kohli, the third-ranked player in India, attempted to work the ball to the leg side, but the delivery left him and squared up. Whether it was a reverse carrom ball or not remained uncertain, but it certainly left an impression on Kohli. This display of skill and focus persisted even during optional training sessions with non-regular players.
The main cause of concern among Rohit Sharma's supporters has been the team's remarkable composure on the field during this impressive streak. They have consistently displayed a strong and confident demeanor. Initially, there were worries about peaking too soon, but despite that, India emerged victorious. Subsequently, their focus shifted to maintaining this winning momentum.
In the following four games, India not only successfully defended targets but also managed to make seemingly challenging scores, like 229, look well above average. They have achieved impressive batting performances, crossing the 350-run mark twice. Moreover, the bowling unit has excelled, dismissing the opposition for very low scores on multiple occasions.
What makes these accomplishments even more commendable is the fact that India had to cope with challenges like playing with a long tail and lacking the insurance of a sixth bowling option due to the absence of the invaluable player Hardik Pandya. Despite these setbacks, the team has shown resilience and continued to perform at a high level.
India deserves applause not only for their on-field greatness but also for their impressive ability to handle public expectations with a high level of professionalism. Even when facing challenging situations, like losing four consecutive games to top-ranked teams, they have demonstrated resilience and maintained their focus.
On the other hand, New Zealand's journey to this point has been far from easy, having faced setbacks along the way. Nevertheless, they find themselves in the World Cup semifinals for the ninth time. In an era where financial resources often play a crucial role in success, the "Big 3" teams, including India, maintain a significant power balance. They have successfully implemented advanced player development programs, cultivating a roster of exceptional athletes. Furthermore, they have access to cutting-edge sports research, contributing to their continued success on the international stage.
On Wednesday, Kane Williamson's team will face off against their rivals on an equal footing at the hallowed grounds of Indian cricket. even though not many people think of them that way. They have accepted the label of underdogs for the majority of their cricketing careers and have even relished the freedom that goes along with it, so they are by no means the underdogs. They are aware that all the pressure will be on India to meet all the expectations, break the curse of the elimination round, and preserve the legends of the great players. New Zealand can focus on perfecting their one-percenters, matching up well in one-on-one matches, and sweating the tiny things in hopes of finding a spark as the opponent struggles mightily.
India has endured four years of Manchester, and they have gone even longer without an ICC tournament knockout victory. They've had a brief and sharp two-day break before this Mumbai encounter, which is perhaps a good thing to prevent them from mentally overthinking the situation. They should not be treating this semifinal as anything other than a cricket match, just like the nine that came before it, which they are well capable of winning regardless of the circumstances, the history, or the buzz. They are professionals with far too much experience in huge games. They will not alter. The World Cup hasn't really changed all that much, though.
What to anticipate: Wankhede should be an excellent place to chase goals because of the stadium's size and the pitch's inherent bounce. The ball hasn't quite behaved as expected, swinging and seaming noticeably under the lights. All but one of the World Cup matches played here have been won by teams defending scores, with Glenn Maxwell's outstanding innings serving as the lone exception. In this tournament, the average score after one inning has been 357. When the afternoon sun singes at 34 degrees Celsius, both teams will fancy the luxury of batting. They will then use the conditions and pressure from the scoreboard to pound home the advantage.
Group Vigil:
India
With the exception of a last-minute injury, the hosts' starting lineup has been decided upon for some time and will not change for the sixth straight game.
Methods & Planning:
Mitchell Santner, who will bat eighth for the Black Caps, will provide them more batting depth. However, they will only have four frontline bowlers; the fifth bowler role is shared by a number of part-time possibilities. In the league match in Dharamsala, India dismissed Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra for 58 runs in 11 overs together. India will try to put more pressure on the 10 overs that New Zealand's (comparatively) weaker bowlers will bowl, as spin is predicted to have less of an impact at the Wankhede Stadium.
New Zealand
With Kane Williamson back, Rachin Ravindra, the tournament's breakout star, has moved up one spot in the batting order and knocked Will Young out of the starting XI. For the crucial semifinal, the 2019 finalists will stick with this squad.
Methods & Planning:
The only bowler to give Kuldeep Yadav any kind of trouble during the league stage was Daryl Mitchell, who not only smashed the left-arm legspinner for straight sixes but also caused uncertainty in the spinner's mind by executing the sweep and the reverse sweep. Using this technique, New Zealand will want their No. 4 to return and compel Rohit to leave the safety of his Plan A.
Did you realize?
- India leads New Zealand 42.86% (3 wins, 4 defeats) in the ODI World Cup semifinals, with a better record (2 wins, 6 losses).
- In six ODI World Cup knockout games, Kohli has an average of 12.16. At this point in his seven games, Williamson has also not played well. With one fifty coming at Old Trafford four years ago, he averages 34.67.
- With 16 wickets in the first innings, Ravindra Jadeja has surpassed both Anil Kumble and Yuvraj Singh to become the Indian spinner with the most wickets in a World Cup.
Their statement:
Saying that it's just another game, in my opinion, would make us appear unauthentic. Indeed, it is a semifinal, but I don't think our procedures or the preparation we've given to each and every game will alter. We are aware that this is a crucial game—a knockout game—and that there will undoubtedly be pressure. However, I think our response to that pressure thus far has given us a great deal of confidence and belief." Rahul Dravid after his team was eliminated from the World Cup.
Yes, it has been quite the journey—from sort of not having a chance to getting near, realizing that it is something to aim for, and feeling quite thankful to be here. after which I would return and shatter my thumb [laughs]. It's not humorous. No, it was really testing and frustrating, but I still felt that I hadn't been ruled out, so I was thankful for that. It's also wonderful to be sitting here, possibly more fit than I was yesterday. For me, it's wonderful to be here and to be taking part in this competition. The international events in India undoubtedly contribute to the unique nature of these competitions." Kane Williamson considers his previous journey.
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