New Zealand beat India: Here are the key takeaways
New Zealand came up with a thrilling bowling performance to tame India by 18 runs in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2019 on Wednesday. Rain played a spoilsport on Tuesday, as the match was shifted to Wednesday, where no further interruptions saw Kiwis reigning tall. As NZ reached their second consecutive World Cup final, we look at the key takeaways.
How did the match pan out?
Winning the toss, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson elected to bat first on a seemingly dry surface. However, they were off to a slow start, followed by a rain delay, which forced the play to the reserve day. Courtesy Ross Taylor's 74, they did manage to post a total of 239/8. While it seemed gettable, Indian top-order succumbed to New Zealand's lethal bowling.
India should have included Mohammed Shami in the XI
One of the notable omissions in the Indian playing XI in this tie was pacer Mohammed Shami, who was sensational in this World Cup. Dropping him raised questions as the conditions were perfect for him to deliver. As Dinesh Karthik was brought in, Kohli decided to go in with an extra batsmen. However, India should have been more aggressive by including Shami in XI.
Ross Taylor could have accelerated little early
Ross Taylor played a key role in the match against India. However, his gameplay was confusing. He played a composed innings and wanted to accelerate at the death but he couldn't complete the task. Except for one over by Yuzvendra Chahal, Taylor was unable to belt the bowlers. In the final, he would have to be more clinical.
Did reserve day make things difficult for India?
It seemed like India were on track to restrict New Zealand below 240 on Tuesday. And it might have been easier to chase down the total. However, rain forced the match into reserve day. Without a doubt, the pitch had more movement today which the bowlers were able to use it to perfection. Credit to Boult and Henry to make things difficult for India.
MS Dhoni should have played at four
Following a top-order collapse, which saw four wickets falling within the first power-play, the pair of Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya took control. In our opinion, MS Dhoni should have at four. It was evident that Dhoni can play a patient innings and with him holding the fort, Pandya could have played his natural game, against fifth bowler, to finish off the match.
