India registered a fantastic 70-run victory over New Zealand in the 1st semi-finals of the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue thereby secured a place in the all-important finals of the World Cup, which will be played at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Batting first, India fired on all cylinders and posted a mammoth total of 397 runs. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill topped the run-scoring charts and ensured that India posts the highest-ever knockout total in the history of this competition.
In response, the Kiwis did put the Indian bowlers to test but chasing 400 odd runs was always going to be a tough task. Mohammad Shami impressed one and all with his fabulous bowling and ensured that India qualifies for the ODI World Cup finals for the 4th time.
In this article, we take a look at the top 3 talking points of the IND vs NZ semi-finals in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023:
1. Virat Kohli’s incredible landmark
An epitome of class and consistency, Virat Kohli displayed his A-game in this IND vs NZ game and once again notched up an ODI century. But this century was special because it was his 50th ODI ton and he surpassed Sachin Tendulkar, who had 49 ODI centuries under his belt.
Playing in front of an energetic Wankhede crowd and in the midst of some great luminaries, Virat Kohli scored a fabulous knock of 117 runs and set the platform for a big score in the 1st innings.
2. Mohammad Shami’s exceptional bowling
At a time when the other bowlers were made to toil hard, Mohammad Shami silently inflicted kills upon New Zealand. He bagged 7 wickets and logged the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs (7/57).
Shami dismissed the top 4 batters of New Zealand and notably broke the 181-run partnership between Daryll Mitchell and Kane Williamson. He ended up taking 7 wickets and deservedly won the player of the match award.
Mohammad Shami now has 23 wickets in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023 and is simply breathing fire. He has been the cynosure of all eyes and is all set to be a key figure in the finals for the Indian cricket team.
3. Daryll Mitchell and Kane Williamson’s fantastic partnership
After Mohammad Shami dismissed both the openers of New Zealand, the onus was on skipper Kane Williamson and number 4 batter, Daryll Mitchell, to steady the ship of the Kiwis.
The duo put up 181 runs on the board and infused a lot of hope into the Kiwi camp. But it was Shami once again, who broke this partnership and backed it up with the dismissal of Tom Latham, who departed for a duck.
Also read: Babar Azam Steps Down As Pakistan Captain Following Mediocre World Cup Performance
