Cricket World Cup 2019, India vs New Zealand, first semi-final — The first-semi-final between India and New Zealand has been pushed into a second day after persistent showers on Tuesday.
New Zealand will resume its innings at 5-211 with 3.5 overs to go and India to play its full 50 overs if the rain stays away on Wednesday. Unlike the group stage, the ICC has locked in reserve days for both semi-finals and the tournament decider.
With plenty of runs expected on a flat pitch, New Zealand elected to bat after winning the toss and its innings was halted after 46.1 overs by the rain, with Ross Taylor (67*) and Tom Latham (3*) at the crease.
If the reserve day is also washed out, India will automatically progress to the final after finishing first in the group stage. A minimum of 20 overs per side is required to constitute a comlpeted match, and the forecast for Wednesday suggests that is more than likely to happen.
There is only a 10 per cent chance of any rain between 6am and 4pm (local), before a 40 per cent chance of light rain between 4pm and 5pm, and back under 10 per cent for the remainder of the day.
Taylor, Jimmy Neesham and Kane Williamson all enjoyed lives before the rain hit on Tuesday.
Eventually out for 67 to Yuzvendra Chahal, Williamson survived a tough run-out chance on 36 when Virat Kohli missed a direct-hit. Later MS Dhoni failed to get his fingers underneath a Taylor edge off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah when the batsman was on 22.
Neesham was arguably the most fortunate, with Rohit Sharma misjudging a chance at mid-wicket off the bowling of Hardik Pandya and only managing to get the finger tips of one hand to it. Pandya eventually got his man for 12 in the 41st over, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar had Colin de Grandhomme caught behind for 16.
The dropped catch was salt in the wounds for Pandya, who is battling injury to get through his full 10 overs. Having gambled on picking just five genuine bowling options in the XI, India’s semi-final plans were rattled when Pandya limped off the field after bowling the 17th over with what appeared to be a hip flexor issue. The seamer returned before the 21st over and was back in the attack in by 27th but has looked uncomfortable since.
After surviving an lbw review on the very first ball of the game from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Martin Guptill was caught for one at second slip off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth over. Ravindra Jadeja then bowled Henry Nicholls (28) in the 19th over to end a 68-run stand.
The highest run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup, Guptill has struggled this tournament, making 167 runs at 20.87.
“For Matin Guptill it has been a tournament to forget,” Ian Smith said in commentary.
“It’s a sad sight really because he knows he’s not delivered,” Smith added when cameras shot a dejected Guptill sitting in the team dressing room. “It’s a reflective sight that pretty much sums it up. You can put your arm around him and say don’t worry, it will come, but he’ll never take that.”
TEAMS
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Colin First State Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, river Boult