IND vs NZ, ICC World Cup 2019, Semi-Final 1: India aim to dodge New Zealand attack for ticket to finale

The Indians are being considered favourites but as it has been the case with New Zealand when it comes to any limited-overs tournament, they have shown their mettle

After ending the league stages on a high, Virat Kohli & Co are set to feature in an ICC World Cup semi-finals for the seventh time on Tuesday. They will lock horns with New Zealand at the Old Trafford, Manchester, who ended at the fourth spot on the points table. The Kiwis may have had ended their group stage games on a low key as they lost three matches on the trot. However, the Indians should keep in mind that this was the side they lost to in the warm-up games. The Indians are being considered favourites but as it has been the case with New Zealand when it comes to any limited-overs tournament, this time too, they have shown their mettle and walked straight into the knockouts. But on Tuesday, the Black Caps will have to play out of their guts to challenge the Indian team that has only lost one game so far -- against England in Birmingham as they failed to chase down 300-plus. Yet, the question is whether or not it will be a batting paradise.

Yet, there is a forecast for rain starting Tuesday. While it may be passing showers, but then, the New Zealand attack suddenly looks all the more menacing with the likes of Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Souther and Colin de Grandhomme almost looking unplayable. In fact, Ferguson's fitness will hold the key. While the Kiwis are confident that he will last the 50 overs, it will indeed be crucial to see if he remains the force to reckon with on the field of play. For Virat Kohli, it will be about wanting to see the clear blue skies like never before. After all, New Zealand is one attack that turns a completely different picture when the conditions are overcast. Unlike the Australians and Englishmen, the Kiwis are hardcore swing bowlers. Another area of concern for the Indian skipper will be the form of the middle-order batsmen. While the team management has shown a brave face, the fact remains that most of the runs have been scored by the top three -- Kohli, Rohit Sharma and K.L. Rahul. With 647 runs from eight innings and five centuries, Rohit heads the list and is followed by run-machine and Kohli with 442 runs with five fifties to his name. And third on the list is Rahul with 360 runs that includes a century and two fifties. Clearly, even as the Indian bowling attack under Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the spinners cuts a perfect picture, the batting in the middle needs to stand tall and get counted. Squads: India: Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, M.S. Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant. New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Colin Munro, Tom Blundell, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.