Semi Final Played At Manchester,England on 9 July 219
India Vs New Zealand
New Zealand 211/5 in 46.1 Over( Ross Taylor 67 * , Kane Williamson 67 ,HM Nicholls 28 , JJ Bumrah 1/25, B Kumar 1/32, RA Jadeja 1/34, HH Pandya 1/55,YS Chahal 1/63)
Intermittent rain sometime heavy, some time light starting after 46.1 over of New Zealand innings forced the match going to the second day kept reserve for the knock out match. If weather permits the match would resume from the same stage where it was left off today.
New Zealand would bat for 3.5 overs left in the match with their over night batsmen Ross Taylor (67*) and Tom Latham (3*) trying to add to the innings. India has option of letting Kumar and Bhumra completing the quota of overs. It is true that rain interruption in an world cup event is always frustrating. Rain started playing hell in WC 2019 in the earlier matches with few matches getting rained out.
For logistical reasons, those matches did not have reserve days. English summer this year was unusually wet. But then rain is an integral part of cricket almost everywhere it is played. That is why Duckworth and Lewis computed D/L method. But when that happens the match becomes a gamble .The team which is affected feel deprived and gets hard done.
ICC playing condition this time permits the game to be started from the same position today if weather permits starting on time. If rain continues to delay and forces play in restricted over then D/L would come in to play. If match gets washed out India finishing top in the table would walk into the final. Perhaps such situation even Kohli and co would even not want.
New Zealand winning the toss and electing to bat under a cloud cover and dry wicket were greeted with very accurate and penetrative new ball attack of B Kumar and JJ Bumrah. Ball was not moving much but had disconcerting bounce. Kiwi master batsman Guptill looked completely out of sorts. His vigil at the wicket was curtailed by beautiful Bumrah delivery getting big on him and forcing him to defend .Kohli in the slips grabbed a sharp catch. Nicholls and Williamson were pressed very hard. Run was coming in trickles. How the pair weathered the storm and some how put together 68 runs in the 2nd wicket partnership in 15 overs before Nichols was cleaned up by Judea. Williamson had his able allay Taylor.
These two are backbone of Kiwis batting. Indian bowlers were bowling tight on the sluggish wicket. Ball was turning sharply and jumping. Scoring runs was not easy. It took the pair 17 overs adding 65 in the 3rd wicket partnership before Williamson after scoring a patiently compiled 67 fell to the guiles of Chahal. Taylor stayed on but could not play with gay abandon. Neither could Nisham or Grandhomme give him good company. Indian bowlers bowled really well and Kohli marshaled his troops very well. With rain expected perhaps Kiwis were keen on not loosing too many wickets. Taylor crawled to another fifty. He started opening up after 40thover. But rain came in the 46.1 over with New Zealand at 211/5. With Taylor still there well settled and Latham just started finding balls at the middle of the bat another 35-40 runs were not beyond Kiwi reach. 240 -250 runs on this wicket could make an interesting chase given the wicket and over head condition.
If rain did not completely wash out match yesterday and play was possible India could be in a challenging situation in curtailed overs. In a minimum of 20 overs India would have required 148 to win. With so many IPL heroes that could be possible. But one never knows how the pressure of a world cup semi final could have impacted.
Weather forecast toady in Manchester is not great. Match may be interrupted again. If starts on time and New Zealand bat it will not be easy going boom -boom by the New Zealanders. Still 30-40 runs in 23 left over deliveries can tilt the balance as wicket would retain some moisture, out field would be heavy and over head condition would assist Boult, Fergusson and co.
No one has any control over nature. Let us hope that the match goes ahead. Let team go to Lords winning genuinely. World cup is a global event happening after every four years. Teams spent lot of time, efforts and energy for reaching here and toiling to come to a situation of handshaking distance for the final.
BDST: 0926 HRS, JULY 10, 2019
AH
