India stormed into the semi-finals as the strongest side in the ICC World Cup 2023, winning all 9 games in the Round Robin stage. But as they gear up for the knockouts, the ghosts of the 2019 edition of the tournament seem to be haunting the fans. Four years ago, India ended the league stage on the top of the points table but their momentum was shattered by New Zealand in a rain-curtailed game which was played over two days. India lost the game by 18 runs and crashed out of the tournament.
IND vs NZ ICC World Cup 2023 Semi Final Live
India have already defeated The Black Caps in the group stage – by 4 wickets in Dharamsala. But it was when Kane Williamson wasn’t in the playing XI due to an injury. Since he’s back into the mix, facing New Zealand will be no cakewalk for India.
Williamson may have had played just three games in the tournament so far but has scored 187 runs with an average of 93.50. The New Zealand skipper knows the trick of tackling the Indian bowlers,
Speaking with the official broadcasters of the World Cup 2023, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes that Williamson will have no problem facing the Indian attack, especially leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s such a great player; it doesn’t matter if he’s come out from a big break and he’s scored runs. So, I don’t think it’s going to make much of a difference. He uses his feet really well to go down the pitch to smother the turn if needed; he then goes and uses the crease as well. So, he’s a very good player. I don’t think he is going to be fussed about playing Kuldeep; he will know how to tackle him. If needed, you don’t want to hit him for boundaries; just work it away for six singles if that is required,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
Williamson has scored two fifty-plus scores in three innings with his best score – 95 off 97 – coming against Pakistan. As the New Zealand skipper gears up to face the hosts in the all-important sem-final, Gavaskar feels that Willaimson might dominate against Kuldeep at Wankhede.
“When the boundary ball comes along, he will hit the boundary ball, so we’ve seen his willingness to take more risks. We haven’t seen that side of Kane Williamson maybe in 2019, but here, we have seen him take the aerial route. He got out on a shot for a 100 the other day; he got out on 95, but that’s because he had taken the aerial route, and he will probably look to do that against Kuldeep Yadav as well,” Gavaskar added.
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