Rain pushed the Old Trafford semi-final between India and New Zealand into its reserve day. When the players went off the field at the start of the 47th over, New Zealand had struggled to 211 for 5 on a distinctly two-paced surface.
Under the tournament playing conditions, the match officials tried their best to complete the match on Tuesday, even if it meant a reduction in overs, but the rain didn’t let up. This means that the match will resume on Wednesday – weather permitting – as a full 50-overs-a-side contest.
The five most recent matches at Old Trafford leading into this one had all been won by the team batting first, and that’s what Kane Williamson decided to do upon winning the toss, though he said it had been “a toss-up with the overheads”, given the threat of rain and a revised target – which usually favours the chasing team.
India’s new-ball bowlers relished the overheads first up, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar finding swing straightaway and a cracked surface also affording him and Jasprit Bumrah seam movement. Their lengths were immaculate, and both began with maidens. When extra bounce forced Martin Guptill to fend Bumrah to Virat Kohli at second slip, New Zealand were 1 for 1 after 3.3 overs. It had been a near-perfect opening salvo from India, save a wasted review first ball when Bhuvneshwar struck Guptill on the front pad with a ball that ball-tracking suggested hadn’t straightened enough to hit leg stump.
New Zealand didn’t lose any more wickets in the first ten overs, but their score at the end of the first Powerplay – 27 – was the lowest of the World Cup. Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah gave nothing away, and frequently beat the bats of Henry Nicholls and Williamson, who for their part didn’t take any risks, mindful of the need to keep wickets in hand.
By the first drinks break, the second-wicket pair was beginning to gain a bit of momentum, with Nicholls sweeping Ravindra Jadeja for four in his first over, and Williamson pulling and steering Hardik Pandya for boundaries in successive overs. When Pandya hobbled off the field after the 16th over, looking in some discomfort with his groin, India may have begun to feel a little concerned. They had left out Kedar Jadhav once again, and only had five bowlers. With six overs of Pandya’s quota still left, would they need to turn to Virat Kohli’s highly occasional medium-pace?
As it turned out, Pandya soon returned to the field to resume bowling his cutters and slower bouncers, and Jadeja delivered an important breakthrough.