However, in 1970, the ICC decided to suspend the team from international cricket indefinitely due to its government’s apartheid policy, which favored white players and nations. This decision excluded players like Graeme Pollock from international Test Cricket. It caused some promising players like Allan Lamb and Robin Smith, who played for England, and Kepler Wessels, who initially played for Australia, to leave South Africa. The team was readmitted in 1991 after the apartheid ended, playing its first official match against India. Since then, the Proteas have had mixed success.

The match-fixing scandal involving Hansie Cronje cast a shadow over South African cricket. With his tragic death in a plane crash, a chapter in South African cricket came to a close.

South African cricket has produced many great players. Jacques Kallis is arguably the best, and Graeme Smith was a pivotal leader, especially in Test cricket. Additionally, players like Allan Donald, Daryll Cullinan, Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers, and Hashim Amla have contributed significantly to their success.

Despite reaching the Cricket World Cup semi-finals three times, they haven’t made it to the finals. In 2011, New Zealand ended their World Cup run in the quarterfinals. In 2015, they were favorites but lost to New Zealand in the semis. They also struggled in the 2017 Champions Trophy, failing to qualify for the knockout stages. In 2018, the retirement of AB de Villiers was a significant setback for the team.

ALSO READ: Why the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup format we saw in 2023 is not good for the game

South Africa (Proteas) unveil new jersey ahead of ODI World Cup 2023

Cricket South Africa also known as ‘The Proteas,’ recently showed off their new jersey for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. The tournament is set to kick off in India on October 5.

In a video shared by Cricket South Africa (CSA), the team’s captain, Temba Bavuma, along with players like David Miller, Aiden Markram, Anrich Nortje, and Keshav Maharaj, were seen wearing the new jersey.

This unveiling is an exciting moment for South African cricket fans as the team gets ready for the big tournament in India.

South Africa will continue their ICC Cricket World Cup with a five-match series at home against Australia from September 7 onwards.

South Africa vs Australia Schedule:

September 7: First ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N), 9pm AEST
September 9: Second ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N), 9pm AEST
September 12: Third ODI, Potchefstroom (D/N), 9 pm AEST
September 15: Fourth ODI, Centurion (D/N), 9 pm AEST
September 17: Fifth ODI, Johannesburg, 6 pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Tanveer Sangha, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Dewald Brevis, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Brjor Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen.

Australia are champions for a sixth time after they beat India by six wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad.

Hosts India won all 10 games leading up to the final and were heavy favorites to claim the trophy, but fell at the last hurdle.

1. The toss, the pitch and the conditions

From the moment the pitch was unveiled, all eyes were on the toss, and all the chatter was about what the captains would do next.

The late change of pitch for India’s semifinal against New Zealand surprised the game’s experts and played into the hands of the hosts.

The pitch in Ahmedabad for the final was heavily worn, much to everyone’s surprise for an event of such stature.

Would that suit the Indian spinners and the ability of the hosts’ prolific batters through the middle overs? Would it also reduce the impact of Australia’s strike bowlers? Quite the opposite.

The gamble on the surface failed for India, almost from the moment they lost the toss.

Indian fans fell silent when Australia’s Pat Cummins called correctly, but then roared with delight when he elected to field. It’s hard to imagine Rohit Sharma sharing the elation of the Ahmedabad crowd. Below are more expanded reasons why the toss was so crucial in hindsight.

Also Read: Why the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup format we saw in 2023 is not good for the game

2. India’s boundary count

Rohit Sharma went hard at Australia’s seamers with the two new balls from each end, and it paid off to an extent. Virat Kohli continued the charge, and his three consecutive boundaries off Mitchell Starc at the start of the seventh over looked ominous for Australia.

However, Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal in the 11th over set off a boundary-less period of play that lasted more than an hour and 90 balls.

Kohli was setting himself up in response to the conditions, for he knew India’s hopes of dictating the final rested on him. But when there was a slow pitch and when Cummins’s near-perfect off-cutter got the better of Kohli, the silence in the stadium reflected the nerves of the nation.

Towards the end of their innings, the Indian batters once again failed to score a boundary for over an hour.

3. The Australian quicks

India’s quick bowlers were what many regarded as the reason for the hosts’ dominance and favorite tag before the final.

Mohammed Shami only entered the team in the fourth game, following an injury to Hardik Pandya, but grabbed the headlines with his strike rate.

In the final itself, Australia’s seamers handsomely won the like-for-like comparison. Josh Hazlewood is renowned for his nagging line and length—lethal on a slow pitch. Starc is devastating on any pitch with his skill and aggression as a left-armer. Cummins is the perfect foil for the openers with his change of pace.

The trio proved to be a perfect storm on a “sticky” wicket, as Ravi Shastri described it.

That was just the start of the Indian innings. By the end, the ball, scuffed up on the abrasive surface, was reversing, and any hopes of India reaching a par score of 280–290 diminished.

4. The spinners

Shami rightly grabbed the headlines, but the economical bowling of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja was also crucial.

There were indications that India might bring Ravichandran Ashwin on Ahmedabad’s slow pitch, but they didn’t. Could he have played that significant a role in the final? 

Meanwhile, Australia’s spinners made good use of the afternoon heat on the slow pitch. Glenn Maxwell picked up Rohit, while Adam Zampa snared Jasprit Bumrah.

Their Indian counterparts showed similar control and economy rates, but went wicketless.

5. India’s seamers

The pitch was not the same for the trio of Indian seamers as it had been for Australia’s seam attack.

The dew, which had saturated Ahmedabad in the days leading up to the game, was not as heavy as expected but the change in conditions under lights was enough to hamper India’s bowlers.

The ball came onto the bat far better throughout the chase and there was enough moisture on the surface from the dew to not have an abrasive effect on the ball. Indeed, even the natural swing early in the innings was not as pronounced as it was at the start of the match.

By the 43rd over, when the winning runs were struck, any hopes that the ball would reverse for India had long passed.

Had India reached a total closer to 300 and the match gone to the wire, perhaps Shami, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj could have reversed the ball – and the result for the hosts.

Had Rohit won the toss, would this have been a story of five things that went right for India?

At the end of 48 matches where Australia, perhaps inevitably, were crowned champions, there is a lingering question that the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup leaves us with. What is a “World Cup” supposed to be?

This is not to be confused with the questions surrounding the 50-over format itself. That is for another day. This is also not supposed to be about India not being able to win the ICC title that has eluded them for more than a decade now, despite all the resources at their disposal. Trying to answer that will take a whole week.

Also Read: World Cup 2023 in India sets all-time tournament attendance record of 1.25 million

This is, at its heart, a question surrounding what a tournament of this magnitude is supposed to mean for the game. Because, as it stands, the last two editions of this tournament have been played in a format that is rigged to favour the best teams to rise to the top. It is not a format meant for fairytales. It is not one designed for shock and awe because the shocks are almost always temporary and the awe is fleeting. It is a tournament where teams fight it out for a league phase that seems to last forever followed by just three knockout matches.

Sure, there can be a school of thought that goes: yes, the best teams will surely now play each other in the end. A World Cup is for the best teams, is it not? But cricket is already so restrictive in featuring just 10 teams (for the men, the women still only have 8 teams). The “World” barely exists in the World Cup as it is, and this format has almost nearly rendered the “Cup” meaningless. Essentially, it is a Champions League.

That is why the Netherlands defeating South Africa – a result that had far-reaching consequences in the slightly more global T20 World Cup – barely caused a ripple at CWC23. That is why Afghanistan defeating Pakistan – a momentous, generation-defining result for a team on the rise – meant nothing in the larger scheme of things. Australia losing two matches, New Zealand losing four matches meant only the order of top four was ever in question – and that too, not for very long.

This is no slight on Australia’s recovery or New Zealand’s ability to find an optimum level of operation to reach the business end. They did just what they had to do in a tournament that allowed them breathing space to recover from setbacks. But on the flip side, it is impossible to escape the fact that this is essentially a format that enables broadcasters and powers-that-be to bank on at least nine guaranteed matches for the likes of India, Australia, and England.

The game itself is more global, so comparing cricket with football is perhaps too simplistic. And followers of football would tell you that the Fifa World Cup format will soon have its issues too. But, at the very least, it is a tournament that allows for miracle moments. It lets the mighty powerhouses in the world to feel the pressure of an early defeat. Some recover like Argentina did last year after losing to Saudi Arabia. Others can’t, as we have seen many times in the past but more recently with Morocco and Japan making the most of outperforming giants like Belgium and Germany. Those huge wins for the lesser-favoured meant something immense.

Even some of the most incredible Cricket World Cup matches from the past have been knockouts. The highs of the 1996 quarterfinal between India and Pakistan in Bengaluru followed by the shock of the semifinal in Kolkata. South Africa’s many incredible semifinal (defeats). Australia – after having won in 1999, 2003, 2007 – finally letting the crown slip, at the hands of Yuvraj Singh-inspired India in Ahmedabad.

Even in the just concluded edition where Head broke hearts in the final, there is a strong case to be made for the two most exciting matches – the most tense, the ones with most at stake – to be the two semifinals. The 70-run margin wouldn’t fool any of us into thinking the India win against New Zealand came at a canter in Mumbai. The South Africa-Australia clash in Kolkata would go into the annals of famous matches in the tournament’s history. Sure there were a few thrillers smattered here and there during the league stage, but as mentioned earlier, the result of most of the group matches just couldn’t have the same impact on a tournament.

Simply, that sort of jeopardy simply isn’t possible when the focus of a Cricket World Cup is to dedicate the majority of the eyeballs for the big teams, with 3 knockout matches out of 48 in total.

In 2027, there will be at least a minor course correction with the men’s ODI World Cup tournament going up to 14 teams. But as per ICC, the format is set to two groups of seven, with the top three in each group progressing to a Super Six stage: yet again minimising the possibility of a major team exiting early barring a disaster.

Unless and until the focus shifts from maximising air time for the game’s behemoths to actually producing a tournament that has more knockouts, more possibilities for the underdog, and more thrill for a neutral, the Cricket World Cup will remain a misnomer.

The just-concluded Cricket World Cup attracted a tournament-record 1.25 million spectators during the six-and-a-half-week event, which ended Sunday with Australia beating India by six wickets for its sixth title.

The International Cricket Council said Tuesday that the tournament had 1,250,307 spectators. With six games to go, the spectator figures had already surpassed the one million mark.

The India attendance figures surpass the earlier marks of the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, which attracted 10,16,420 spectators and the 2019 edition in England and Wales, which had 7,52,000 fans.

The 10-team tournament in India saw each team play the others once to advance to the semi-finals. There were 48 matches played overall for a total average attendance of about 26,000.

Also Read: ‘Australia 450-2, India all out for…’: Mitchell Marsh’s World Cup final prophecy during IPL 2023 goes viral

It was the 13th edition of the World Cup, with the first being held in 1975.

ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said the one-day international (ODI) tournament had been a “great success.”

“The staggering attendance demonstrates the enduring appeal of cricket and excitement the ODI format continues to offer,” Tetley said in a statement, adding that the tournament also broke multiple broadcast and digital viewership records.

“It has been an event that has not only entertained but also united cricket fans globally in a celebration of the sport.”

We are one sleep away from the big final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. At the end of 45 riveting league matches and two thrilling semifinal games, World Cup 2023 is down to two teams – India and Australia. No two teams have faced each other more times than these two in World Cups as India and Australia are all set to add episode 14 to their sensational rivalry. Amid the build-up to the final, it is time to revisit some of the pre-tournament predictions made on the summit clash and the one that stands out is that of Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who did get it right on his prophecy made about six months back, but the opener had foretold the scores as well.

While speaking on a podcast show hosted by IPL franchise Delhi Capitals during the 2023 season, Marsh had predicted that Australia would meet India in the final. Willingly going into the specific details of his prediction, Marsh further added that Australia will win by 385 runs after folding India for just 65 in the final.

Marsh did get the first part of his prediction correct as Australia, the most successful team in World Cup history with five titles (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015), made it to their eighth final after beating South Africa while India reached their fourth after 1983, 2003, and 2011. However, he is yet to find out about the second part of his remark.

Also Read: All you need to know about the Cricket World Cup Final

“Australia will stay undefeated, defeating India in the final, Australia 450-2 in the final, India all out 65,” Marsh, who has been in stellar form in this World Cup with 426 runs at 53.25, had said.

Although the prophecy regarding India and Australia facing each other in the final came true for Marsh, it is the home team – and not the Aussies – who are undefeated so far in the tournament winning all 10 of their games – nine in the round-robin stage and one semifinal.

Australia, however, head to the final on the back of an eight-match winning streak. After losing to India in their opener and to South Africa in their second game, they bounced back to win all their remaining games, including the semifinal against the Proteas, to make the final.

Match Schedule

Sunday 19 November – Final: India vs Australia

A repeat of the 2003 final, where Australia won by 125 runs in Johannesburg, the two meet at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where well over 100,000 fans will turn out to witness history.

How the teams qualified 

India cruised through the group stage, finishing top on a maximum 18 points having won all nine of their matches. India’s net run rate of 2.570 was far and away the best in the group stage.

In the semi-final against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma led a blazing start with the bat, rocketing with fellow opener Shubman Gill, before Virat Kohli cruised to his 50th ODI century, passing Sachin Tendulkar. Posting an imperious 397, New Zealand showed some respite largely through a century from Daryl Mitchell, only to fall 70 runs short.

Also Read: South Africa vs Australia Highlights, World Cup 2023 Semi-Final: Australia to play the WC final against India after close shave against South Africa at Eden

Centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli and a seven-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami helped India into the finals.

Australia bounced back from defeats to India and South Africa in their opening matches, and sitting in last place on the table, before going on to win the remaining seven matches, and qualify with 14 points.

Pat Cummins’ side were slight underdogs in their re-match with South Africa come semi-final time, though the Aussies made an emphatic start, holding South Africa to 24/4. David Miller’s century gave the Proteas hope, though it was Cummins and Mitchell Starc who would wield their bats aloft in victory, holding on in a tense three-wicket win.

Australia beat South Africa by three wickets.

The Squads

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.

World Cup Pedigree

Tournament hosts India are eyeing a first major ICC global tournament win in 12 years, and will have the crowd on their side on home soil, as they did in 2011.

Australia are the most successful nation in the history of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and would make it six wins should they triumph in India.

Reserve Day

A reserve day can be taken should a result not be reached due to weather.

Prize Money

The tournament has a US$10 million pot. The winner of the tournament will take home US$4 million, with the runners-up winning US$2 million.

Teams also collected US$40,000 for every group stage win.

How to watch India vs Australia world cup final

The ICC’s Global broadcast partner Disney Star and its licensees will broadcast the match on a global basis. 

In India, Star Sports Network will be the place to watch, while cricket’s first-of-its-kind vertical feed coverage produced by ICC TV and supported by Disney Star continues, providing fans with an easier and more intuitive mobile phone viewing experience allowing users to consume content on-the-go.

Fox Sports and Kayo will be the home of Australian coverage along with select matches on Channel Nine and 9Now. Fans in the UK can catch the action live on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Mix, Sky Showcase and digitally via the SkyGO and Sky Sports App. Primetime, free-to-air highlights will be available on Channel 5 and My5 App for the first time.

WillowTV will be the channel to watch for fans in the USA whilst coverage will also be available via the ESPN+ app. SuperSport and its app will broadcast the action in South Africa and to the 52 Sub-Saharan Africa territories. For fans in New Zealand, Sky Sport NZ is the place to be for Men’s Cricket World Cup matches.

In the UAE and the entire MENA region, all matches will be streamed Live on STARZPLAY, with broadcast coverage made available on CricLife MAX in the UAE.  

The conditions are overcast in Kolkata, and there is a chance of rain. Both teams ended with 14 points after seven wins from nine league games to make it to the knockout stage. The proteas, who finished second in the group stage, will be wary of the Kangaroos, who bagged the same points but were third with a lesser NRR of (+)0.841.

Also Read: Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s records of most runs and most 50-plus scores in a World Cup; most tons in ODIs

South Africa vs Australia Live Score: Miller’s valiant hundred in losing cause embodies SA’s tragic knockout history

The most enduring David Miller image featured none of the five sixes or eight fours he bludgeoned. Or the wild shriek that accompanied his hundred. It came the ball that ended the innings that would define his career, one that would embody the tragicness of a South African batting hero and his doomed pursuit of an elusive goal.

Miller watched in agony his hit — the bat had slipped off his palms at the point of impact — nestle in Travis Head’s palms. Distraught, he slammed his helmet with the bat, as he staggered back to the pavilion, in the sweat of an attritional hundred and in the tears of failing to guide his team to a bigger score than the 212 they mustered. 

Babar Azam on Wednesday quit as Pakistan captain across formats, four days after his team’s elimination from the World Cup, where the former champions finished fifth. Pakistan lost five of their nine games, including a shock defeat against Afghanistan, bringing Babar’s leadership under scanner.

Experts and critics had called for a change of guard and Babar was summoned for a post-mortem of team’s performance by PCB’s management committee head Zaka Ashraf. Babar Azam announced his decision on social media.

“Today, I am stepping down as captain of Pakistan from all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel this is right time for this call,” Babar wrote in his statement, posted on X.
Babar faced scathing criticism for his team selection and many accused him of creating a coterie with the players of his liking, including Imam ul Haq, Mohammed Nawaz, Shadab Khan to name a few. Babar Azam made it clear that he will support the new skipper in every way possible.

“I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication. I want to express my sincere thanks to Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility,” he added.

Also Read: Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s records of most runs and most 50-plus scores in a World Cup; most tons in ODIs

Ashraf, on his part, also copped a lot of flak when he issued a statement in the middle of the tournament that the squad selected for World Cup was done at the behest of erstwhile chairman Inzamam ul Haq and skipper Babar.

He had mentioned that a decision would be taken at the end of the tournament and it was clear that Babar didn’t have PCB’s back.

During his tenure, Pakistan became No. 1 ranked team in ODIs on the back of some solid performances at home on placid pitches against second string teams from SENA countries and relatively weaker Asian teams. “Reaching the No. 1 spot in white ball formats was a result of collective effort of players, coaches and management,” he stated.

He was made the captain in 2019 and he admitted that he has experienced both highs and lows after he first got a call from PCB informing of their decision of appointing him the leader of the national team.

“Over the past four years, I have experienced many highs and lows on and off the field but I have wholeheartedly and passionately tried to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in cricket world,” he said.

Virat Kohli 50th ODI Century, ICC World Cup 2023: Ace India batsman Virat Kohli scripted new chapters in the history books of world cricket as he became the first batsman to score 50 ODI centuries when he cracked a ton against New Zealand in the semi-final match of the World Cup in Mumbai on Wendesday (November 15, 2023). He  overtook Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries in Onedayers. In the same innings, Kohli also improved on Sachin’s records of the most runs and the most 50-plus scores in a single edition of the World Cup. Playing in the first semi-final of the 2023 World Cup on Wednesday, Kohli scored his eighth 50-plus score, overtaking Tendulkar and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan. While Tendulkar scored seven 50-plus scores at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, Shakib joined the Indian master with equal number of 50-plus scores at the 2019 World Cup in England. 

Apart from that, Kohli also broke Tendulkar’s 20-year record, overtaking him as the batsman with the most runs in a World Cup. Tendulkar had scored 673 runs in 11 innings at the 2003 World Cup.

At present, Virat Kohli has the same number of centuries in ODIs as Tendulkar at 49. However, with Kohli batting at 81 runs at the time of writing this report, he appears within the reach of breaking this record too.

Most centuries in ODIs

Virat Kohli overtook Tendulkar’s record of most centuries in ODI cricket when he scored a ton at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

Also Read | ICC World Cup 2023: Who’ll win South Africa vs Australia semi-final match? Prediction, fantasy team and more

Kohli also become the first cricketer in ODI cricket to score 50 centuries. 

Most runs in a World Cup

Tendulkar achieved this mark when he scored 673 runs in 11 matches at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Tendulkar scored one century and six half-centuries at an average of 61.18 and a strike rate of 89.25.

Not just surpassing Tendulkar’s feat, Kohli also improved on the record of Rohit Sharma.

Rohit scored 648 runs in nine matches with a record five centuries and one fifty at the 2015 World Cup.

Most 50-plus scores in a World Cup

Playing against Netherlands in Bengaluru on Sunday, Kohli had equalled Tendulkar and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan’s record of the most 50-plus scores (7 each) in a world cup.

With a 50-plus score on Wednesday, he is now on top.

India’s star Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer slammed their respective centuries to take India towards the high score of 397/4 after 50 overs. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul also shined in India’s high-scoring batting campaign. New Zealand also did well with the bat and showed the fighting spirit with the match looking difficult for India at one point.

But, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami shined again as he clinched 7 wickets to derail New Zealand’s batting and break some crucial partnerships.

India vs New Zealand: Team India’s innings

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma continued on his attacking note and started well against New Zealand. The Indian openers played well against the New Zealand pacers with the new ball, but as Rohit Sharma (47) came very close to his 50, Tim Southee dismissed the Indian skipper. While walking back to the pavilion, Rohit Sharma shared something with Virat Kohli and the Indian star used it well to punish New Zealand bowlers.

Shubman Gill played brilliantly well and slammed his half-century, but felt some discomfort due to the cramps. As the problem grew, Rohit Sharma asked the batter to come back to the dressing room as he didn’t wanted Shubman Gill to give his wicket. Shreyas Iyer entered the ground with the confidence of a century in the previous match and played in a similar fashion.

Also Read: ‘If India don’t win this ICC World Cup, they will have to…: Ravi Shastri

Virat Kohli (117) and Shreyas Iyer (105) played in a wonderful partnership and both batters slammed their respective centuries. This was the record-breaking innings by Virat Kohli, who surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record and slammed 50 centuries in ODI cricket. KL Rahul (39*) and Shubman Gill (80*) ensured that India finished well on the score of 397/4 after 50 overs.

India vs New Zealand: Team New Zealand’s innings

Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra started well against India and got some boundaries in the early overs of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. As the openers got settled, Rohit Sharma decided to change the bowling and bring in star pacer Mohammed Shami, who dismissed Devon Conway (13) on his first ball. New Zealand was still recovering from the wicket when Mohammed Shami struck again to dismiss Rachin Ravindra (13).

Then a tough phase began for India as Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell played in a beautiful 181-run partnership. Indian bowlers were desperately chasing wickets, but New Zealand batters kept slamming boundaries, and the high runs of India were not looking that strong now. Rohit Sharma again introduced Mohammed Shami who clinched 2 consecutive wickets as he dismissed Kane Williamson (69) and Tom Latham (0).

Glenn Phillips came on strike with a clear role to support Daryl Mitchell and take the team towards the target. Phillips (41) slammed some boundaries to provide some chills to Indian fans, but Jasprit Bumrah didn’t let him do much as he dismissed him soon. Spinners were not very successful today, but Kuldeep Yadav didn’t fail to leave the spin mark as he dismissed Mark Chapman (2).

The game was moving away from New Zealand’s hand, but Daryl Mitchell (134) was standing strong on the crease, still slamming some boundaries to keep the Kiwi’s hope alive. He again tried a big shot, but this time it was against Mohammed Shami and the ball went straight into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja.