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Team India beat New Zealand by 70 runs in the first semi-final of the 2023 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. With the win, the hosts confirmed their place in the final of the tournament, which will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Men in Blue won the toss and decided to bat first in the knockout clash. They put up a dominating performance with the willow, notching up 397/4 in their 50 overs.
Virat Kohli scored 117 off 113, posting his 50th ODI ton and thereby going past Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most ODI hundreds. Shreyas Iyer (105 off 70) also scored a belligerent hundred, his second in a row, while Shubman Gill contributed 80* off 66.
Chasing a mammoth total, New Zealand were held to 327 despite Daryl Mitchell’s brilliant 134 off 119 balls and skipper Kane Williamson’s defiant 69 off 73. Mohammed Shami was absolutely brilliant for India with the ball, claiming 7/57 - the best figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs.
Team India’s triumph on Wednesday was the fourth occasion when they had won the semi-final of an ODI World Cup match.
In this feature, we rank India’s semi-final triumphs.
#4 2003 World Cup vs Kenya (Durban)
This was without doubt the easiest semi-final game for India of all the four they have played in the ODI World Cup so far. With all due credit to Kenya, they were expected to be no match to India in Durban in the knockout clash of the 2003 edition. And so it proved to be.
The Men in Blue batted first in the match and put up 270/4 on the board. Skipper Sourav Ganguly top-scored with 111* off 114, striking five fours and as many sixes, while Tendulkar contributed 83 off 111. In reply, Kenya were bundled out for 179 in 46.2 overs. Zaheer Khan claimed 3/14, while Ashish Nehra and Tendulkar chipped in with two wickets each.
While India eased into the summit clash of the 2003 edition, they finished runners-up as Australia hammered them by 125 runs in the final in Johannesburg.
#3 2011 World Cup vs Pakistan (Mohali)
An India-Pakistan semi-final clash is close to a dream event for fans from both nations. The arch-rivals met in Mohali in the knockout match of the 2011 edition. The Men in Blue won the game by 29 runs to progress to the final, which they went on to win by defeating Sri Lanka.
The triumph does not rank higher than No. 3 because India had a lot of luck going their way in the game. Also, the Pakistan team weren't as strong as compared to some of India's other competitors in the World Cup semi-finals over the years.
Tendulkar top-scored with 85 off 115 balls, but he had a number of close shaves. To his credit, he hung around and compiled a defining innings. Virender Sehwag (38 off 25) and Suresh Raina (36* off 39) also made handy contributions as India posted 260/9.
Chasing the target, Pakistan managed only 231 as India’s bowlers shared the spoils, with all five bowlers claiming two wickets apiece.
Pakistan’s batting was heavily dependent on Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. While the latter made 56, he did not find much support. Earlier, Younis too was dismissed for 13.
#2 2023 World Cup vs New Zealand (Mumbai)
India’s semi-final win over the Kiwis in the ongoing World Cup ranks at No. 2 on the list. The match was played on a batting-friendly surface.
The Men in Blue batted first and posted a massive total of 397/4 on the board. What was most impressive was India’s approach was the fact that they did deviate from the aggressive philosophy, something they have been guilty of doing in knockout matches in the past.
The Men in Blue were up against a strong New Zealand opposition, which was not going to give up without a fight. And then did not as Mitchell and Williamson took the attack to the Indian camp.
At one point it even seemed that the duo might take their team home all by themselves. But India their nerve under pressure brilliantly.
#1 1983 World Cup vs England [Manchester]
India’s maiden appearance in the ODI World Cup semi-final, in Manchester in 1983, ranks at the top position in the illustrious list.
India, who had failed to make an impact in the first two World Cup editions in 1975 and 1979, had done admirably well to reach the final four. However, England, being the hosts, had the upper hand in the contest.
Apart from playing in familiar conditions, England also boasted a number of match-winners, not least of all legendary all-rounder Ian Botham. They had the likes of David Gower, Allan Lamb, and Mike Batting in the batting department and Bob Willis and Graham Dilley in bowling.
India, however, came up with a clinical effort to demolish the English challenge. Kapil Dev claimed 3/35, while Roger Binny and Mohinder Amarnath picked up two wickets each as India bowled out England for 213.
Yashpal Sharma (61), Sandeep Patil (51*), and Amarnath (46) combined to put India in the final with a comprehensive six-wicket win. The rest, as clichéd as it may sound, is history.
