On 15th November, Wankhede is going to witness a thrilling knockout game between India and New Zealand. Those who aren’t new to cricket must remember how Martin Guptill’s throw dismissed MS Dhoni and knocked India out of the trophy chase in the 2019 World Cup. Of all the teams, New Zealand is not the one to be taken lightly.

Though team India has performed exceptionally well with not even a single loss in this World Cup league stage, it is well known how India sometimes messes it up when it comes to knockouts and high pressure clashes. So, what are the chances of India making it to finals safe and sound? Let’s find out.

Setting everything else aside, the toss will play a significant role in determining who advances to the first World Cup 2023 final. Wankhede’s pitch gives the team that chooses to bat first a distinct advantage, but chasing appears more difficult in the dark. The average score at the Wankhede pitch during the ICC World Cup 2023 is 357 when batting first, but it is much lower at 188 when chasing a target.

As pacers have better swing under the lights at night, batting first offers an advantage to the team. If India wins the toss, it is obvious that captain Rohit Sharma will go with the decision of batting first. However, if the team loses the toss, the pacers will have to pull up their socks and show the extraordinary skills that they’ve been exhibiting throughout the tournament. It will be crucial for the bowlers to take early wickets and restrict New Zealand to a low score.

The history favours New Zealand in the semifinals as India has never beaten the black caps in any ICC knockout games. Additionally, New Zealand has thrashed India 9 times in 14 ICC white-ball matches. However, there’s a fair chance that tables may turn in the favour of men in blue this year keeping in mind that India currently has the best bowling unit in the world. The batting lineup is also all charged up and is playing to their best abilities.

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