Hyderabad: A capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium will be cheering for Team India when they take on equally strong New Zealand in the first semi-final of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup in Mumbai. The Rohit Sharma-led team is just two steps away from winning the coveted ICC Trophy and a win on Wednesday would help them storm into the final to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India last won an ICC Trophy in 2013 and it has since been almost a decade. On Wednesday, when the Rohit Sharma-led team takes the field, on current form, they will be the outright favourites and can take revenge for the 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat. For India, defeating New Zealand can pave the way for their third ICC ODI World Cup title as they will face Australia or South Africa in the final and the team bulldozed both the teams in the league stage. New Zealand has been India's nemesis and a win on Wednesday will boost the morale of the Rahul Dravid-coached team. If all the nine league matches of India are analysed, then India's game against New Zealand was the closest.
In the 2019 World Cup semi-final, a throw from Martin Guptill from the deep to dismiss legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni broke a billion hearts. That throw was instrumental in India's defeat and Virat Kohli and his boys had to return from England empty-handed. It was only brilliance by chase master Virat Kohli, that India managed to win at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. King Kohli is in scintillating form and is the leading run-getter in the marquee tournament. He has scored 594 runs so far and it is just one short of breaking his idol batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's record of most ODI centuries.
Kohli, who loves the Wankhede, will be eyeing to go past his idol at the latter's home ground on the second-biggest platform. Ko Mumbaikar Rohit Sharma is also on a song and has led from the front, amassing 503 runs and he would be keen to make it big at his home ground. And so would be other Mumbaikars --Shreyas Iyer, who scored his highest ODI score against the Netherlands--in the last game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Shreyas and Suryakumar Yadav, who have all their life played at the Wankhede Stadium, will be keen to roar once again, in front of their home crowd. Other batters like Shubman Gill and KL Rahul will also be keen to play their roles to perfection. The Indian bowling attack is also lethal and has bundled out Opposition teams at times. They would be eager to play their best game in the sem-final. If the Rahul Dravid-led team can defeat a mighty New Zealand, who are known to spring surprises, then they will rock at the world's largest stadium in Ahmedabad. If India wins the World Cup, they will equal Australia's record of winning 11 consecutive matches in the marquee tournament.
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