- By Himanshu Badola
- Thu, 16 Nov 2023 03:39 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India vs New Zealand Semi-Final, World Cup 2023: India reached the final of the ODI World Cup 2023 after their famous win over New Zealand in the first semi-final in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 15.
First, the Men in Blue put up a stunning show with the bat at the Wankhede Stadium followed by an exceptional bowling performance from Mohammed Shami who helped the team clinch a 70-run victory in the all-important clash.
India somehow managed to defend the 397-run total in the high-scoring contest, bowling the Blackcaps out for 327 runs in 48.5 overs.
There were celebrations all around the stadium and all around the nation as well as India made it to yet another World Cup final.
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It was a spectacular atmosphere in the dressing room as well after the victory as players greeted and congratulated each other for the monumental achievement.
On the other hand, Yuzvendra Chahal, who was watching the match from the stands, also visited the dressing room and met with the likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.
Rohit Sharma-led team received a special welcome in the team hotel as they were greeted by chants of acknowledgments.
The BCCI captured all the special moments and posted a video on their official Instagram handle.
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"Raw emotions & pure joy post a special win at Wankhede. Thank you to all the fans for the unwavering support," the caption read.
While Virat Kohli created history by smashing his 50th ODI century with Shreyas Iyer also scoring a magnificent hundred, Shami put up a bowling masterclass as he picked up seven wickets for 57 runs.
The Indian team continued their consistent run and still remained the only undefeated side in the tournament.
They will be facing the winner of the second semi-final (Australia vs South Africa) in the summit clash of the tournament which is scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19.
Skipper Rohit acknowledged and lauded the team for commendable efforts as they managed to get the better of pressure in critical situations during the match.
"This being the semifinal, I won’t say there was no pressure and the semifinal adds a bit extra (pressure). But we don’t want to think too much about it, and just do what we’ve been doing like in the first nine games," said Rohit during the post-match presentation.
"We knew there would be pressure on us. We were very calm, even though we were a bit sloppy on the field. These things are bound to happen but glad we could get the job done," he added.