Kiwis Fly Into Semis, India Fly Back

Boult, Williamson Pilot Black Caps To Eight-Wicket Win Over Afghanistan, Result Puts Kohli’s Team Out Of Contention

- Dwaipayan.Datta

All the prayers in the hope of an Afghan miracle have fallen flat. The Indian superstars can now pack their bags and go home from their ‘home’ World Cup, after failing to make the semifinals.

And Virat Kohli can now sit back and ponder what he had done to irk the mild-mannered, unassuming Kiwis. It’s the third ICC event in a row that Kane Williamson’s boys have sent them home empty-handed --- the first two being the ODI World Cup in 2019 and then the World Test Championship final earlier this year.

R Ashwin had said the other day that they want to give “physio support” for mystery spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman to be fit for this game. He did play, so did Rashid Khan, and Afghanistan had the chance of putting some pressure on New Zealand when they won the toss and chose to bat.