Introduction

On Wednesday, November 15, The First Semi Final Of The ICC World Cup 2023 will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. While India is leading the points table in the league stage, the Kiwis has ended the fourth. New Zealand has 10 points from five games with a net run rate of +0.743.

Before registering a crucial victory in their last league match against Sri Lanka, they had lost four matches in a row. However, they began their campaign with four wins. However, New Zealand lost the league match against India in Dharamsala.

**The First Semi Final of The ICC World Cup 2023: India Are the Favorites**

Review of The League Match of ICC World Cup 2023 Between India & New Zealand

Batting first the Kiwis could score only 273 despite a superb innings by Daryl Mitchell who made 130. Team India chased the target in only 48 overs, when 2 overs were left, and they had four wickets in hand. With a sublime 95 off 104, Kohli anchored the chase of runs in his well-known convincing, yet authoritative style. In this match Mohammad Shami starred with 5-54.

Outcome of Semi Final 2019 Between India and New Zealand

The Kiwis had registered a famous 18-run win and knocked India out of the tournament in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup which was played at Manchester.

World Cup 2023 semi-finals- schedule, Teams, Venues & More:

India is the only undefeated team entering the semi-finals of ICC World Cup 2023. However, they have to maintain it till Semi Final and Final, as all of us know that even a single defeat will eliminate them from the tournament.

Four teams have finally been shortlisted after 45 games of round-robin cricket, which were played for over more than five weeks.

Details of the forthcoming ICC ODI World Cup Semi Finals are as follows-

Semi-final 1:

India vs New Zealand

November 15, Wednesday, 2:00 PM IST

At Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

In the opening knockout match, India will play against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Just try to recall the previous world cup (2019) semifinal when the same two teams were there. That match was extended over two days due to rain which resulted in a victory of New Zealand over India.

Team India led by Rohit Sharma will definitely try their best to avoid a repeat of the history this time.

Semi-final 2:

Australia vs South Africa

November 16, Thursday, 2:00 PM IST

At the Eden Gardens, Kolkata

In spite of losing their first two league stage matches., Australia, a five-time champion, has bounded back to form by winning seven matches in a row and has shown their class by securing the third position in the points table.

South Africa has also won seven of their nine league matches, which includes a victory against Australia. That victory might give a psychological advantage to South Africa. However, it will be very interesting to watch if South Africa can overcome the Australian challenge once again in the most challenging circumstances and secure their first-ever spot in One Day International World Cup final.

TAYLOR’S OPINION

Taylor, who was a part of that semifinal in Manchester said that India would be even bigger favorites in the forthcoming Semi Final.

The outcome of a sporting event is too challenging, and it involves a number of factors like Player’s contributions, weather conditions, and some sudden surprises.

On the basis of the current form and historical records of both the teams,

We can analyze things a little bit.

India’s Strengths:

Led by the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul, India has a strong and experienced batting lineup. With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja leading the charge, they also have a formidable bowling attack,

New Zealand’s Strengths:

Known for their team spirit and ability to adapt to different conditions, New Zealand is a well-balanced and consistent team. As Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson, they have a strong opening pair and a dependable bowling attack in the form of Boult, Tim Southee, and Matt Henry.

Likely Outcome:

Given their recent record against New Zealand and their overall form in the tournament. India is considered to be the favorite for this match; However, New Zealand should never be underestimated, and they can pull off surprises anytime.

:Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul can provide a solid start for India, giving a partnership of more than 50 runs. Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav may play the anchor’s role in the middle order scoring around 70 runs or more.

Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson are most likely to provide a solid start for New Zealand, but Indian bowlers will try to take wickets at regular intervals.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee must prove to be economical in their bowling, but they may struggle to take wickets.