Kiwis roast Lanka; likely to play India in semis

Muhammed Rumman Khan | NT

Bengaluru: No rain, no problems for New Zealand. The Black Caps seem poised for a semifinal faceoff with hosts India in the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup.

This prediction comes on the heels of their convincing victory over Sri Lanka in their final round-robin match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Having restricted Sri Lanka to 171 in the 47th over, New Zealand effortlessly chased down the target of 172 with a whopping 160 balls to spare, significantly boosting their net run rate to +0.743.

The win, which marked New Zealand's first in five matches, catapulted them to 10 points, securing fourth place on the ladder, two points ahead of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The onus is now on Pakistan, who need an overwhelmingly substantial victory over England on Saturday to also finish with 10 points and potentially surpass the Black Caps on net run rate. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has only pride to play for in their match against South Africa on Friday.

So, how substantial a win does Pakistan need? A colossal task awaits them as they must bat first and secure a victory by approximately 287 runs.

While such a feat has occurred twice in this World Cup, with Australia beating the Netherlands by 309 and India defeating Sri Lanka by 302 runs, achieving it again in Kolkata would be a major surprise, even considering England's subpar performance.

Realistically, it appears the Black Caps are on course to secure the fourth spot and advance to the semifinals at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai next Wednesday.

However, the prospect of facing an undefeated India in the semifinal adds a daunting layer to the equation. The Kiwis owe their smooth victory to Trent Boult's (3-37) rediscovery of his bowling prowess with the new ball.

Despite struggling with rhythm in the previous matches, the 35-year-old showcased his true colours, swinging the ball around with finesse. Sri Lanka's batting lineup seemed out of sorts, perhaps still recovering from the 'Timed Out' incident.

Kusal Perera's counterattack provided a glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka, with his second-fastest World Cup fifty (22 balls), but Lockie Ferguson soon dismissed him.

Mathews promised a bit, but Santner's clever use of flight, turn, and bounce outfoxed them. The lower order's resilience added 58 runs to the total for the final two wickets, preventing New Zealand from wrapping up the innings early.

When Sri Lanka batted, the ODI seemed to struggle with its identity crisis, oscillating between a T20 and a Test match. Sri Lanka's 74 for 5 set a record as the highest ODI powerplay score by a team that lost five or more wickets in the first 10 overs.

Despite the disappointing tournament, Sri Lanka did manage to beat England. The match in Bengaluru drew a crowd of 17,500 spectators, who remained relatively subdued throughout the game due to the absence of fireworks or significant moments to cheer for.

However, the Black Caps enjoyed more support than Sri Lanka. Interestingly, New Zealand's journey in this World Cup mirrors a similar pattern from 2019: a strong start against weaker opposition, a stumble in the middle stages, and a resurgence just before the semifinal—where they triumphed over India.

Now, history seems poised to repeat itself as they gear up to face India again at the Wankhede.