India were on top against the Kiwis until rain halted play at the Old Trafford. New Zealand were at 211/5 in 46.1 Overs, with Ross Taylor batting on 67*off 85 balls. They had about 4 overs in hand and a decent total looked possible. On the other hand, the men in blue were right on the money, pressing brakes on the ‘Blackcaps’ from the very start.
? ?? need to bat at least 20 overs for a result
? If possible, a result will be reached today
? If not, the game will continue tomorrow
? If still no result is possible, ?? will progress to the #CWC19 final, as group winners#INDvNZhttps://t.co/Xim0zBSCug— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 9, 2019
The match has been delayed by rain and India need to bat at least 20 overs in order to produce a result. If rain spoils the day, the game will resume tomorrow. In case no action takes place even tomorrow then India will advance to the finals as table toppers from the group stage.
Indian pacers were all over the Kiwis
Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah sent back Martin Guptill to provide a perfect start for the Indians. Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson, who won the toss earlier in the day and elected to bat, went on to play a steady knock of 67. Each of the five bowlers bagged a wicket each as New Zealand never really got going.
India tagged as favorites
India went into the match as favorites whereas New Zealand were the perennial dark horses. Skipper Williamson was aware of the tags ahead of the clash and he had mentioned that the Kiwis have the same opportunity just like the other nations.
Williamson was aware of the dark horse tag
“Although we have qualified fourth, we have the same opportunity as anybody else does. There’s only two games left in the tournament. During the round-robin we saw that anybody could beat anybody and we saw on a number of occasions that happened. Our focus once again is committing to the style of cricket we want to play that gives us the best chance.” he told the reporters.