Right then, India have posted a mammoth total and with their bowling attack, they will be pretty confident of defending this one and advancing to the final. New Zealand have already scored a 400 in this World Cup but that was batting first. However, they could take some confidence from that game and just bat freely as they have to be proactive right from the start. Join us in a bit to see how the chase unfolds.
Virat Kohli, the record-breaking centurion is down for a chat. He says that it all feels like a dream, too good to be true just to help the team so many times and adds that he tried to anchor the innings and they managed to get a big total on the board. Mentions that the most important thing for him is to take his team to the win and with the confidence he is taking to the latter overs, he can dominate the ball. Adds that it’s the stuff of dreams with his wife and Sachin Tendulkar himself sitting in the stands and if he wanted to paint the perfect picture, this would be it. Reckons that anything over 330-340 in a big game is good but to get to 400 credit must go to Shreyas Iyer and all the other batters. Ends by saying that it is just one half of the game and they need to do well in the next half as well to win the game.
There is nothing much to talk about the bowling effort from New Zealand. With no swing available up front, Trent Boult and Tim Southee were taken to the cleaners in the first Powerplay which forced Kane Williamson to go to spin early on which also didn’t work. Southee managed to get rid of Rohit Sharma but much credit goes to Williamson for an amazing catch. They managed to squeeze in a few cheap overs in the middle overs but failed to pick up more wickets which allowed the Indian batters to go big and put more pressure on their bowlers till the end. Mitchell Santner was really good once again conceding just 51 runs and picked up a wicket as well. Boult also got one too. Southee ended up with three wickets but also gave away 100 runs. The Kiwis now face a daunting task and their batters will need to be exceptional to win this game.
The pressure of a knockout game was not at all visible on the Indian openers as they went ultra-attacking in the first Powerplay, especially skipper Rohit Sharma who was just hitting boundaries for fun. They added 71 runs together. Unfortunately, Rohit had to walk back on 47 off just 29 balls. Shubman Gill then took the role of the aggressor which gave lot of time to Virat Kohli to settle in. They continued to score runs at a good rate and Gill also brought up his half-century playing in his first ODI World Cup semi-final, but he started to cramp up a bit after that and had to retire hurt on 79 was a bit unlucky for him as he looked set for a hundred. It was that Kohli-Iyer partnership once again that took the innings forward while also keeping their scoring rate around seven at all times. Both of them registered their respective fifties and then changed gears and started to smash the Kiwi bowlers. They added over 150 runs together while Kohli also broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record by reaching his 50th ODI ton. He also went past his idol for scoring the most runs in a single ODI World Cup. Kohli got out on 117 but Shreyas Iyer did not let the run flow slow down and kept hitting the sixes and boundaries with ease. He too went on to score his second consecutive century in this World Cup but got out towards the end. A quick-fire cameo of 39 off just 20 balls from KL Rahul took them close to the 400-run mark.
Take a bow, KING KOHLI! He chose the perfect game and the perfect ground to break his idol’s record of most ODI hundreds in front of Sachin Tendulkar as well. The hosts have put on a batting masterclass in this big semi-final and ended with 397/4 with Shreyas Iyer also scoring a brilliant ton. They have taken a massive step to break their knockout curse and will surely be the happier side going into the break.
49.6 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Ends with a boundary does KL Rahul and 15 runs come off the final over as well with Southee bringing up a century with the ball too! Banged in short and wide of the off stump, asking KL Rahul to reach for it. Rahul manages to free his hands and gets it over the man at backward point for a boundary. He ends up with 39 off just 20 balls and India finish with a mammoth total of 397/4 on the board – the highest-ever in a World Cup knockout game.
49.5 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! A bit too straight from Southee and KL Rahul doesn’t miss out here. Slower and shorter over middle and leg, Rahul stays back and swings it away off the inner half of the bat behind square leg and picks up a boundary.
49.4 overs (0 Run) Misses out on this occasion! Another slower one, a tad shorter and outside off, KL Rahul goes for the reverse hit as he tries to get it fine toward third man but misses the ball.
49.3 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Swung away for another maximum and KL Rahul is finishing with a flourish here. Picks the slower one and the length as well before swatting it across the line and over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.
49.2 overs (1 Run) Full this time, pace on and this is whipped away toward deep mid-wicket for a single.
Shubman Gill walks out to bat again.
49.1 overs (0 Run) OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust and Tim Southee picks up his third wicket of the game. Pace off, into the pitch again and over middle and that does the job. Suryakumar Yadav looks to whack this one away over mid-wicket but is way too early in the shot. The ball goes high off the top edge and toward mid-wicket. Glenn Phillips comes racing in from the deep and takes a good running catch around his chest. SKY departs just for one.
Who will bowl the last over? It will be Tim Southee (9-0-85-2). Can he keep India under 400?
48.6 overs (1 Run) Full and right at the toes, Suryakumar Yadav manages to clip it away to deep square leg for a single.
Suryakumar Yadav is the next man in.
48.5 overs (0 Run) OUT! TAKEN! Shreyas Iyer finally falls but he has more than done his job here. Trent Boult takes pace off this time and bangs it in a bit wide of off stump, forcing Iyer to fetch the ball. Iyer does so and looks to club it over long on but the timing isn’t there. The ball goes flat and down toward long on where Daryl Mitchell comes sliding in to take a fine catch. Boult gets his man and that’s the end of a sensational knock from Iyer.
48.4 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Pinged off the bat and 15 already off this over. Looks for the yorker yet again but serves it in the slot on middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer clears the front leg and whips it wide of long on for a boundary.
48.3 overs (1 Run) Nails the yorker on middle, KL Rahul jams it out to the right of the diving bowled and down to long on for a single.
48.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Squeezed through the gap! Full and wide, gets it in the blockhole this time, KL Rahul stays deep in his crease and opens the bat face at the last moment to slice it wide of short third for another boundary.
48.1 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Wow, that’s an upper decker from KL Rahul! Trent Boult misses his mark with the yorker and serves a juicy full toss around middle. Rahul takes the front leg out of the way and slogs it away over the mid-wicket fence for a 104-meter monster maximum.
47.6 overs (1 Run) Good decision not to go in for the catch! Another slower one, bowled shorter and outside off, KL Rahul stays back and clubs it over the point region. The fielder from the deep comes charging in but steps on the brakes to collect it on the bounce. Just the single then.
47.5 overs (2 Runs) Takes pace off a bit and bowls it fuller outside off, KL Rahul shuffles well across the stumps and sits down before sweeping it away behind deep square leg for a couple of runs.
47.4 overs (1 Run) Hard length over off, Shreyas Iyer looks to stand tall and swing it away but doesn’t get much timing on it. The ball goes toward deep mid-wicket and they pick up another run.
47.3 overs (1 Run) Back of a length over middle, KL Rahul looks to pull off the back foot but gets it off the inside edge and down to deep backward square leg for a single.
47.2 overs (1 Run) BACK-TO-BACK HUNDREDS FOR SHREYAS IYER! What a fiery knock this has been from him and he takes off his helmet to rightfully soak in the applause from the crowd. This is pitched up on middle and Iyer just pushes it down to long on for a single. 
47.1 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Into the crowd again and Shreyas Iyer moves on to 99! Attempted slower delivery, right in the slot around middle, Iyer slogs this one away high and over the square leg fence for his eighth maximum of the game.
46.6 overs (0 Run) Nice change of pace to end the over. This is dug into the pitch and pushed well across the right-hander but it is the slower ball. KL Rahul looks to fetch and pull but is comprehensively beaten.
46.5 overs (1 Run) Nice and full again, in the blockhole outside off, Shreyas Iyer jams this one out square through the point region and picks up a single.
46.4 overs (1 Run) Leg bye! Half an appeal from Trent Boult but the umpire says now. This is full again around off, angling across, KL Rahul attempts a cheeky reverse sweep but misses and the ball goes off the pads toward backward point. They pick up a leg bye.
46.3 overs (0 Run) Goes pace on now and nails the yorker around the off stump, KL Rahul looks to get across the stumps and play at it but misses.
46.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! A little bit of width is all KL Rahul needs! A slower delivery, short and angled across the right-hander, Rahul stays back and shows tremendous bat speed to cut it hard past point for a boundary.
46.1 overs (1 Run) Boult begins the new spell from over the wicket and serves it full and wide, in the blockhole. Shreyas Iyer clears the front leg and drills it through wide mid off for a single.
45.6 overs (0 Run) And again! Another well-disguised slower ball, shorter and angling into the body. KL Rahul misses the pull and takes a blow to the mid rif. Just 6 off that over, a great one under these circumstances.
45.5 overs (0 Run) Excellent change of pace again from Tim Southee. Another slower delivery, on the shorter side and outside off. KL Rahul throws his hands at it but is undone completely by the lack of pace.
45.4 overs (0 Run) Slower delivery, full and around off, KL Rahul walks across and looks for the lap sweep but finds the fielder at short fine leg.
Halt! Devon Conway has hurt his right knee trying to stop that ball using his feet. He looks in some pain but positive signs as he walks back to his position.
45.3 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Oh, dear! Devon Conway has gone down holding his knee and that could be catastrophic for New Zealand. Short of a length over middle, KL Rahul hangs back and heaves it away well in front of deep mid-wicket. Devon Conway covers a lot of ground and throws his feet at the ball but can’t stop the boundary as his knee gets stuck in the ground. Thankfully, Conway is back up.
45.2 overs (1 Run) Pitches this one up on the off stump, Shreyas Iyer walks into the shot and drives it away with a closed bat face down to long on for another single.
45.1 overs (1 Run) On a hard length around middle and angled in, KL Rahul gets pushed back but manages to punch it away in front of mid off for a quick single.
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