If India could have conjured a batting blueprint beforehand for the semi-final of an ODI World Cup, the game against New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday was exactly what it would’ve looked like.
If Virat Kohli could have envisioned an occasion to surpass Sachin Tendulkar and scale the peak of 50 ODI centuries, a World Cup semi-final at Wankhede with his idol watching and applauding from the stands was how he would’ve dreamed it.
If Shreyas Iyer, a Matunga boy who learned the game in the city’s maidans, could have chosen a moment to bring up his first ODI century in Mumbai, this is when he would have wanted it.
If Mohammed Shami could have shown why his omission for the first four games of the campaign was a blunder, career-best figures of 7/57 — the best by an Indian in ODIs — was an apt way to prove it.
What we had as a result was India amassing 397/4 — the highest in a World Cup knockout fixture — and clinching a thrilling 70-run victory against New Zealand to enter the World Cup final.
The eventual margin, however, does not reflect the tension that pervaded the Indian camp during the first 30 overs of the Kiwi run chase, thanks largely to Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson’s partnership of 184 in 148 balls. Mitchell in particular struck a sublime 119-ball 134 before New Zealand were bowled out for 327 in 48.5 overs.
{{/usCountry}}The eventual margin, however, does not reflect the tension that pervaded the Indian camp during the first 30 overs of the Kiwi run chase, thanks largely to Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson’s partnership of 184 in 148 balls. Mitchell in particular struck a sublime 119-ball 134 before New Zealand were bowled out for 327 in 48.5 overs.
{{/usCountry}}If Kohli and Iyer were India’s batting stars, Shami did most of the heavy lifting with the ball on a rare off day for the rest of the attack on a flat deck. The pacer brought up his second five-wicket haul of this campaign fittingly with Mitchell’s dismissal in the 46th over — the final nail.
In Ahmedabad on Sunday, India will appear in their fourth final, and a shot at joining Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni’s band of champions awaits this bunch led by Rohit Sharma. They will face the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and South Africa, who play in Kolkata on Thursday.
India’s charge was led by skipper Sharma in blistering form for an imperious 47, and fellow opener Shubman Gill sharp as ever. But the safety blanket of a huge total was provided by Kohli and Iyer.
Kohli came into this match facing a hint of suspicion about his record in knockouts, but that was dispelled in fine style with a knock that held a heaving Wankhede in thrall. On reaching the three-figure mark with a quick two, Kohli pumped his right fist, leapt with joy before sinking to his knees out of perhaps tiredness and relief on a typically humid evening. When he got back up on his feet, he bowed to Tendulkar, his idol, who was sitting in the stadium. During his 113-ball 117, Kohli also surpassed Tendulkar’s tally of 673 runs — the highest in a single edition in 2003. And with the final still to play, he could add a few more to his tally of 711 runs.
Iyer, as usual, took the aggressive route almost immediately — his seventh ball was a six straight down the ground, stepping out against Ravindra’s left-arm spin and employing that free-flowing bat swing for an exquisite hit right out of the sweet spot; and next up, he sliced a widish delivery past short third man for a four. By the time Kohli was dismissed, India were 327/2 with Iyer in full flow, and well on his way to a 70-ball 105. Seventy runs came off the final six overs, coincidentally the margin of victory on a special night for Indian cricket
Until Mitchell and Williamson came together at 39/2 in 7.4 overs, the Kiwis had been on the mat with a mountain still to climb — another 359 runs off 254 balls.
But the two batters deftly blunted the Indian attack, willing to put in the hard yards until the conditions eased. Mitchell and Williamson gradually exerted some of the pressure back on India’s bowling unit. Barring the odd ball that spun, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav didn’t have much of an impact through the middle phase. Like the match in the preliminary phase in Dharamshala where Mitchell cracked a century, the No. 4 batter looked at complete ease unleashing the big hits again. Blessed with a long reach, he often took a sizeable forward stride and launched down the ground. Williamson wasn’t quite as fluent, but simply his presence conveyed calmness to the visitors’ dressing room.
With the runs flowing and the crowd getting quieter, errors by India’s fielders began creeping in. Shami dropped Williamson on 52 off Jasprit Bumrah (for a moment it seemed it may be costly mistake) but made amends by dismissing the New Zealand skipper and Tom Latham within three deliveries in the 33rd over. Shami, who had also removed New Zealand’s openers after a 30-run stand for the first wicket, then crushed any remaining resistance by running through the rest of the side.
Now, with everything to play for, it’s over to Sunday.