Getting together with the side at 39, Kane Williamson-Daryl Mitchell shattered the previous record of 160 runs by Williamson and Ross Taylor against West Indies in 2019
India's Mohammed Shami (C) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Latham (Pic: AFP)
Virat Kohli's world record 50th ODI hundred and a scintillating century by Shreyas Iyer powered India into the final of the ICC World Cup 2023 final with a 70-run victory over New Zealand in their last-four clash on Wednesday.
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Rohit Sharma's (47 off 29 balls) pyrotechnics, tons by Kohli (117 off 113) and Iyer (105 off 70), and a fluent 66-ball 80 by Shubman Gill, who retired hurt due to cramps, propelled India to an imposing 397 for four after the skipper won a good toss.
New Zealand were stopped at 327 in 48.5 overs as Mohammed Shami finished with incredible figures of 7/57.
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The highlight of the New Zealand innings was a 181-run partnership between Kane williamson (69) and Daryl Mitchell (134). The Kiwis, chasing a mammoth 398 to win, were reduced to 30-1 before Mitchell and Williamson produced a 181-run partnership to drag the side back in contention. Getting together with the side at 39, the duo shattered the previous record of 160 runs by Williamson and Ross Taylor against West Indies in 2019.
Mitchell completed a fine hundred only to see two wickets fall quickly at the other end as New Zealand's quest for a record-breaking World Cup semi-final win over India suffered a major setback. But he responded with an 85-ball century featuring eight fours and five sixes, his second of the tournament against India to give the Black Caps hope of a second successive World Cup semi-final win over India following a 2019 victory in a rain-affected match in Manchester.
Star batsman Williamson, however, fell for 69 when he flicked Mohammed Shami -- who had dropped him on 52 -- straight to Suryakumar Yadav at deep square leg. Two balls later, 220-3 became 220-4 in the 33rd over when Shami had Tom Latham lbw for a duck, with the paceman having taken all four New Zealand wickets to fall. The most any side have made batting second to win a World Cup semi-final is New Zealand's Duckworth/Lewis adjusted 299-6 against South Africa at Auckland in 2015.
Earlier, Rohit went after the bowling straightaway, and almost killed the contest in the first hour of play at the Wankhede Stadium, his dazzling array of stokes leaving the Kiwis bruised and battered. Going for one too many, Rohit fell for a 29-ball 47 but Gill took over from there and continued to torment the Kiwis with his repertoire of strokes.
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After Gill was forced to go back, Kohli and Iyer carried on the good work to set New Zealand an improbable target. Gill, though, came back and remained not out on 80 off 66 balls.
During the course of his innings, Kohli also became the first batter in the history of the game to score 50 ODI centuries, going past his idol Sachin Tendulkar.
(With agency inputs)
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