World Cup 2019: India vs New Zealand Match Report
World Cup 2019, India vs New Zealand: Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni fought till the end, but New Zealand pulled off a stunning victory in a nervy semi-final.
SEMI-FINAL 1: INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND SCORECARD
New Zealand: 239-8 in 50 overs | Won by 18 runs
Ross Taylor: 74(90) | Kane Williamson: 67(95) | Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 3-43
India: 222-10 in 49.3 overs
Ravindra Jadeja: 77(59) | MS Dhoni: 50(72) | Matt Henry: 3-37
Player of the Match: Matt Henry
MATCH SUMMARY:
World Cup 2019, India vs New Zealand: Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni fought till the end, but New Zealand pulled off a stunning victory in a nervy semi-final.
Only 240 is what India needed to book a place in a World Cup final. But, fate had other ideas as Team India witnessed a rare collapse that saw them getting knocked out of World Cup 2019.
In what was supposed to be a high scoring game, continuous Rains and overcast conditions made batting look difficult.
Batting first, New Zealand had a sluggish start as they had only 10 runs on the board after 7 overs.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were smart enough to recognize the pitch to be on a slower side. Courtesy to their cautious approach and determined fifties, New Zealand posted a decent total of 239-8 in 50 overs.
With the match going into the second day due to incessant rains, and New Zealand playing their 50 overs, Team India would have been happy with the target being set.
THE CHASE:
Chasing 240 wasn’t a tough task, but New Zealand bowlers breathe fire right from the start in overcast conditions.
In a repeat of CT 2017 final, Team India’s top-order had no clue to swinging deliveries as Rohit, Virat and KL Rahul departed for just 1 run each.
Pant and Pandya then did steady the ship a little, but inexperience and immaturity cost their wickets.
With India reeling at 92-6 after 30.3 overs, Ravindra Jadeja then played the best knock of his life as he scripted an amazing partnership with MS Dhoni to take the game as close as possible.
However, with equation reading 32 off 14, Jadeja mistimed a slower ball that ended his brilliant knock of 77(59).
MS Dhoni, who likes to take the game deeper had the game his control, but an unfortunate run-out ended the hopes of a billion dreams as India fell short of the target by 18 runs.
Matt Henry was awarded the player of the match for his sensational spell of 3-37.
WHAT WENT WRONG FOR TEAM INDIA:
- A rarest of the rare failure for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they both fell in single digits.
- A blunder in the batting order. MS Dhoni should have been sent above Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya to hold one end up.
- After steadying the ship for some time, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya threw it away with poor shots.
CRUCIAL MOMENTS:
- Ravindra Jadeja’s stunning throw to run-out Ross Taylor.
- Team India reeling at 5-3 after losing their Top order.
- Martin Guptill’s unbelievable direct hit to run out MS Dhoni, thus ending a billion dreams.
🤖 🎯 💥 #CWC19pic.twitter.com/krT5NN4kKR
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 10, 2019
It was a disappointing end to what has been a successful campaign for Team India. 4 years of hard work, team preparation, strategies, emotions, etc. were all buried in that unfortunate session of 45 mins.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have made it to their successive final, and would be eyeing their first World Cup Trophy.
Adesh Kothari is the founder of AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics.
Cricket to him is like what ‘Football is to Lionel Messi’, ‘Singing is to Lata Mangeshkar’, ‘Dancing is to Michael Jackson’, and what ‘Acting is to Clint Eastwood’.
Besides his effervescent love for Cricket, Adesh is an MBA by qualification.
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