ICC ODI World Cup-2023: Team India starts as favourite against Kiwis in semi-final but why they need to stay alert?

After the conclusion of the league stage of the ICC ODI World Cup-2023, the Indian fans are now looking forward to the semi-final match between India and New Zealand scheduled for Wednesday.

There are high expectations from this match to be held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It is the same ground where the Indian team led by Dhoni successfully won their second ODI World Cup in 2011.

After winning all nine league matches in this World Cup, India is the strongest contender for victory in this match.

India needs to stay alert

However, considering New Zealand's impressive record against India in ICC tournaments, the host team needs to stay alert.

So far, there have been 10 matches between the two teams in ICC tournaments, with New Zealand emerging victorious in 8 of them.

During the league stage, India defeated New Zealand in Dharamshala, marking their first win against New Zealand in ICC tournaments since the 2003 World Cup.

India faced against England in the 2019 World Cup semi-final.

In that match, India dominated for most of the time, but due to about an hour of poor performance, the team had to face defeat.

Team India will strive to improve their record in Mumbai

The Indian team led by Rohit Sharma will strive to improve their excellent record in Mumbai.

In 21 matches played on this ground, the Indian team has won 12 matches and faced defeat in 9.

In the previous match, the performance of all Indian batsmen is reassuring.

The bowling performance in this World Cup has also been commendable. In the 9 matches played, India's bowlers have taken 86 wickets of opposing teams, showcasing their capabilities.

New Zealand poses a significant challenge for India 

It's widely acknowledged that New Zealand poses a significant challenge for India in ICC events. Out of ten encounters across ICC tournaments, India has managed to secure victories against the Black Caps only twice. The team has faced defeats from New Zealand in the last four knockout clashes. 

Under Rohit's captaincy, India finally broke the longstanding losing streak by convincingly defeating New Zealand in the round-robin phase of the ICC World Cup 2023. Kohli's exceptional performance set the stage for Rohit and his team to overcome India's 20-year jinx against the Kiwis in ICC tournaments.

Rachin Ravindra's impressive performance

NZ all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has already delivered an impressive innings of 75 against India, and he is aiming for the top spot in the World Cup batter standings. Accumulating 565 runs in nine matches, Rachin stands as the third-highest run-getter in the 50-over spectacle. 

Additionally, he has bowled nine overs, conceding 46 runs against India. In the upcoming World Cup semi-final, Rohit's Team India will need to effectively counter Kiwi spinners Rachin and Glenn Phillips. During their previous encounter at Dharamsala, Rachin Ravindra and Phillips proved to be a formidable pair, conceding only 58 runs in 11 overs.