If India could have conjured a batting blueprint beforehand for the semi-final of an ODI World Cup, the game against New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday was exactly what it would’ve looked like.
If Virat Kohli could have envisioned an occasion to surpass Sachin Tendulkar and scale the peak of 50 ODI centuries, a World Cup semi-final at Wankhede with his idol watching and applauding from the stands was how he would’ve dreamed it.
If Shreyas Iyer, a Matunga boy who learned the game in the city’s maidans, could have chosen a moment to bring up his first ODI century in Mumbai, this is when he would have wanted it.
If Mohammed Shami could have shown why his omission for the first four games of the campaign was a blunder, career-best figures of 7/57 — the best by an Indian in ODIs — was an apt way to prove it.
What we had as a result was India amassing 397/4 — the highest in a World Cup knockout fixture — and clinching a thrilling 70-run victory against New Zealand to enter the World Cup final.
The eventual margin, however, does not reflect the tension that pervaded the Indian camp during the first 30 overs of the Kiwi run chase, thanks largely to Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson’s partnership of 184 in 148 balls. Mitchell in particular struck a sublime 119-ball 134 before New Zealand were bowled out for 327 in 48.5 overs.
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