Mumbai, India

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is all set to roll up his sleeves for the first ODI World Cup semifinal on Wednesday (Nov 15) as his team meets hosts India in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. New Zealand, who have been a hoodoo team for Rohit Sharma’s men, will look to cause an upset as they eye a third consecutive final in the 50-over World Cup. For India, revenge will be on the menu card, having lost to New Zealand in the 2019 edition semifinal while also losing the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2021.

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Williamson expects big home support

"We are expecting a fairly blue crowd that will be supporting their team. No doubt, they will be very passionate about that. At the same time, as players, when you get opportunities to play in front of those crowds as well, it's special. We remember over the years, at a number of different venues, we have played in front of fans who are not supporting us. We have a small country that doesn't always fill out the stadiums, but you still appreciate the atmosphere that it brings. I am sure it will be a good one tomorrow,” Williamson said during the press conference on Tuesday.

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India will have momentum on their side having won all the nine fixtures in the league stage while New Zealand will be aware of the recent threat. The sides met earlier in the campaign in Dharamsala where the Blackcaps were beaten comprehensively after Virat Kohli led the chase. India won the match by four wickets while New Zealand later lost momentum as they failed to win matches having lost to Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan.

Wednesday’s encounter will be crucial for both sides and India will be aware of not repeating the mistakes from the 2019 edition. As things stand, India could field an unchanged side consisting of Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah at the peak of the attack. The likes of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and local boy Rohit Sharma should also provide the necessary width with the bat.

The match will start at 2:00 PM IST with the toss taking place at 1:30 PM at the Wankhede Stadium.