India produced a dominant performance to beat New Zealand by 70 runs in the first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Chasing a mammoth target of 398, New Zealand were bowled out for 327 in 48.5 overs, with Mohammed Shami taking a stunning seven-wicket haul. India will now face the winner of the second semi-final between England and Pakistan in the final on Sunday.
## India's batting fireworks
India, who won the toss and opted to bat first, got off to a flying start as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 97 runs for the first wicket in 10.4 overs. Rohit smashed 47 off 29 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes, while Gill scored 80 off 66 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. New Zealand's pace duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee struck in quick succession to remove the openers, but India's middle order took charge and piled on the runs.
Virat Kohli, who came in at number three, played a captain's knock of 117 off 113 balls, his 50th ODI hundred and his second of the tournament. He shared a 142-run stand with Shreyas Iyer, who scored a blistering 105 off 70 balls, his third ODI century and his first in a World Cup. Iyer smashed four fours and eight sixes, and took a special liking to spinner Rachin Ravindra, whom he hit for four sixes in an over.
India's onslaught continued as KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya cameos took them past the 350-mark. Rahul scored 39 off 20 balls, with five fours and two sixes, while Pandya scored 1 off 2 balls. India finished with a massive total of 397 for 4 in 50 overs, the highest ever in a World Cup semi-final. Boult was the most successful bowler for New Zealand, taking 3 for 86 in 10 overs, while Southee took 1 for 100 in 10 overs.
## New Zealand's spirited chase
New Zealand's chase got off to a shaky start as they lost both their openers, Devon Conway and Ravindra, for 13 runs each in the first six overs. Conway was caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah, while Ravindra was bowled by Shami. New Zealand's hopes rested on their skipper Kane Williamson, who had scored a century in the previous match against Pakistan. Williamson did not disappoint, as he played a classy innings of 69 off 73 balls, with eight fours and a six. He added 111 runs for the third wicket with Daryl Mitchell, who scored a brilliant 134 off 119 balls, his second ODI hundred and his first in a World Cup. Mitchell hit nine fours and seven sixes, and kept New Zealand in the hunt with some aggressive strokeplay.
However, India's bowlers struck back with some crucial wickets in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Williamson, who was caught by Pandya at long-on. Shami then ran through the lower order, taking the wickets of Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Southee and Boult. Phillips was the only one who offered some resistance, scoring 41 off 33 balls, with four fours and two sixes. New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 327 in 48.5 overs, falling short by 70 runs.
Shami was the star of the show for India, taking 7 for 57 in 9.5 overs, the best bowling figures by an Indian in a World Cup and the second-best overall, behind Glenn McGrath's 7 for 15 against Namibia in 2003. Bumrah, Yadav and Siraj took one wicket each, while Jadeja bowled a tidy spell of 10 overs for 63 runs.
## Shami named Player of the Match
Shami was named the Player of the Match for his sensational bowling performance. He said he was happy to contribute to the team's victory and praised his fellow bowlers for their support. He also thanked the crowd for their cheering and said he was looking forward to the final.
"I am very happy to get this award. It was a tough match, but we played well as a team. The pitch was good for batting, but we bowled in the right areas and created pressure. I got some early wickets and then came back to finish the job. The other bowlers also bowled well and supported me. The crowd was amazing and gave us a lot of energy. We are very excited to be in the final and we will give our best to win the trophy," he said.
## Kohli lauds team effort
India's captain Kohli was delighted with his team's performance and said it was a complete team effort. He praised the batsmen for setting a huge target and the bowlers for defending it. He also congratulated New Zealand for their fighting spirit and said they were a tough opponent.
"It was a great game of cricket. We batted really well and put up a big score. Rohit and Gill gave us a great start, and then Shreyas and I carried on the momentum. Shreyas played an outstanding innings and showed his talent. Rahul and Pandya also played some good shots at the end. We knew we had to bowl well and we did that. Shami was exceptional and took some crucial wickets. He has been bowling really well throughout the tournament and today he was on fire. The other bowlers also did their job and kept the pressure on. New Zealand fought hard and showed a lot of character. They have a quality team and they played some good cricket. We respect them a lot and we wish them all the best for the future," he said.
## Williamson rues missed opportunities
New Zealand's captain Williamson was disappointed with the result and said his team missed some opportunities in the field and with the bat. He praised Mitchell for his superb hundred and said he was proud of his team's effort. He also congratulated India for their win and said they deserved to be in the final.
"It was a tough day for us. We were outplayed by a better team. India batted brilliantly and posted a huge total. We tried our best to chase it down, but we lost too many wickets at crucial times. Mitchell played a fantastic innings and gave us some hope, but we couldn't support him enough. We also dropped some catches and missed some chances in the field, which cost us dearly. India are a world-class team and they showed why they are the number one side. They played some amazing cricket and we congratulate them for their win. They deserve to be in the final and we wish them all the best. We are proud of our campaign and we have learned a lot from this experience. We will come back stronger and hopefully do better next time," he said.