India and New Zealand will probably square off in the first semifinal of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Nonetheless, the Men in Blue will face a formidable opponent in the Kiwis, who are frequently regarded as India’s archrival in significant ICC tournaments.
Let’s examine Team India’s worry at this pivotal knockout stage:
India’s Nemesis
In World Cups, the kiwis have always outperformed India. At important ICC events, they are referred to as the Men in Blue’s adversary. From a historical perspective, India has won four of the ten ICC ODI World Cup matches, while New Zealand has won five of them. One game came to an end without a score. In order to change the record against the Kiwis, India must perform above expectations.
New Zealand is back on track
This is a team that thrives on big stages and has a knack of seizing control of crucial moments, making a mockery of the term pressure. Despite three consecutive losses, they bounced back with roaring form with the bat, posting 400 against Pakistan. They have also been bolstered by the return of Lockie Ferguson – who added the X-factor in the middle-overs. Star pacer Trent Boult, who had been struggling of late, has also returned to form at the right time. Hosts India will face a stiff challenge from them.
Huge Expectations and home pressure for India
The fans have high expectations for Team India now that they’ve had such a great run in the major tournament. The pressure exerted by supporters and onlookers can be conflicting. The Men in Blue face a formidable challenge in trying to live up to the high expectations of their supporters and defeat the Kiwis with flying colors.
Sixth bowler challenge and kiwis counterattack
India has so far done a good job managing their five bowlers. But because cricket is a team sport, any bowler can have a bad day on the field on any given day. India won’t have a sixth or seventh bowler in their arsenal, so they will face a difficult task in the bowling department. By attacking Kuldeep Yadav in their league match, the Kiwis gave us a sneak peek at their game plan. They would prefer to carry on in this manner.
Easy Matches So Far
Without a doubt, Team India has dominated the competition by destroying every other team thus far. The only nations who have been able to pose some challenges to the hosts are Australia and New Zealand. In situations like these, complacency frequently seeps into the system without the system’s awareness. A few difficult games and even a few losses help any strong team to face the truth about their shortcomings and areas for development. In the absence of a situation like this, Team India might take the Kiwis for granted and end up being a significant obstacle.
