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New Zealand stun India to reach Cricket World Cup final
New Zealand stunned India to reach their second successive Cricket World Cup final after defending a total of 239 on the second day of a rain hit semi-final at Old Trafford.
The Black Caps set India a target of 240 after completing the remainder of their innings, adding 28 runs from 23 balls.
New Zealand’s bowlers got off to a flying start with the dismissals of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who all scored just one run each.
With India at 5-3 and then 92-6, the Kiwi’s thought they were closing in on victory, before MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja dug in to breathe new life into the chase.
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With Dhoni providing the anchor at one end Jadeja was free to play his shots, bringing the crowd to life and piling the pressure on New Zealand.
During a nailing-biting finale, with India needing 37 from the final three overs, New Zealand got the breakthrough they needed.
Jedeja’s emphatic knock coming to an end for 77 before MS Dhoni was run out for 50.
New Zealand won by 18 runs as India finished 221 all out. The Black Caps will face either England or Australia in the final on Sunday.
New Zealand went into this semi-final as huge underdogs against the might of India, some even questioning their place in the final four of the competition.
They only managed one boundary as they continued their innings from 211-5 with just 3.5 overs remaining, finishing on 239-8 from their 50 overs.
Needing 240 to win, India would have been the first side to successfully chase down a target at Old Trafford in this tournament, and pretty much everyone would have expected them to do so.
That was perhaps until the Men in Blue lost three early wickets in the space of just 11 balls.
First Rohit Sharma, who needed 27 to set a new tournament record for most runs in a single World Cup campaign, overtaking compatriot Sachin Tendulkar who amassed 673 in the 2003 edition, was caught behind.
After Matt Henry got the scalp of Sharma, Trent Boult trapped Kohli LBW before Henry had India 5-3 with only 19 balls bowled as Rahul was also caught behind.
India's 24 for four after the first powerplay was the lowest of the tournament - beating New Zealand's score of 27 for one yesterday.
At 92-6 Dhoni and Jadeja dug in in an attempt to rescue the situation. The required rate initially continued to climb but the pair showed fight and put on a World Cup record 116 for the seventh wicket partnership.
As the tension increased, New Zealand grabbed a lifeline when Jadeja holed out to Williamson in the deep off Boult in the 48th over, ending a fine innings of 77 off 59 balls.
Needing 31 from the last two overs Dhoni slashed the first ball of the 49th off Ferguson for six but was then run out two balls later by a stunning direct hit from Martin Guptill as he attempted to take two.
The Indian legend, in what could be his last ever World Cup appearance, did make 50 in the process, but it will no consolation for the former captain.
James Neesham took the final wicket of Yuzvendra Chahal as India were bowled out, with the Kiwis claiming a dramatic victory.
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