After more than five weeks of exciting cricket, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will enter the crucial phase on Tuesday in the first semi-final at Old Trafford.
1st Semi Final will take place at Old Trafford, Manchester, England on 10:30 am local time.
The Indian team, despite being plagued by a few injuries, has led the standings in the World Cup ranking with seven wins from eight games completed. While Rohit Sharma was in top form after five centuries, his new opening partner Lokesh Rahul scored 77 and 111 points in his last two innings.
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The bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, also delivered consistently good results. Virat Kohli will have to make some interesting decisions in the bowling division, as he is looking for a perfect combination for a major clash on Tuesday.
The 2015 runner-up in New Zealand has had a mixed season so far. Driven by some collective bowling and led by skipper Kane Williamson, the BlackCaps had five wins in their first six games, including a full washout against India.
After three consecutive defeats, however, they slipped to fourth position as they qualified for the semi-finals due to a superior net run. New Zealand hopes for a strong performance from its opener Martin Guptill, who has not scored a significant goal since his side’s opening game against Sri Lanka.
Current combinations of form and team suggest that India are the favorites. However, New Zealand, led by a clever captain in Williamson, is able to provide clinical performance against each opponent on a given day.
Key Player of India | Virat Kohli
The Indian captain was a consistent player in the World Cup after scoring 442 runs in eight innings. However, he still has a three-digit score in the tournament. A highly charged game like the semi-finals of a World Cup offers Kohli the perfect opportunity to do another feat for India.
Key Player of New Zealand | Trent Boult
Similar to the 2015 edition, Trent Boult led the New Zealand bowling attack with 15 goals from eight games. Boult, who led his team 4: 33 to a six-goal victory in the warm-up match against India, will try to do a similar feat to put his team in a superb position.
Weather conditions | Old Trafford, Manchester, England
It is expected that the sky will remain cloudy throughout the day, with occasional light showers. The teams that beat first have won each of the five games at Old Trafford in this tournament. Given the nature of the competition, both captains will try to beat first.
Teams Squad | India & New Zealand
Final Playing XI will announce after toss on Match Day.
Last 5 ODIs Stats of India & New Zealand
How To Watch ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Live?
You can watch live Cricket World Cup matches online from home or any where in the World.
