The wait is over as the Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-finals begin, with India taking on New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, hoping to book a spot in the final of the tournamnet. Rohit Sharma‘s men have remained unbeaten in the competition so far, winning all 9 league matches, entering the semi-finals without a single defeat to their name. New Zealand, on the other hand, won only 5 of their 9 matches, losing one of the 4 against India.
As the two teams square-off for a spot in the final, it won’t just be a contest between the bat and the ball but also the conditions at the venue.
India vs New Zealand Pitch Report, Wankhede Stadium Mumbai
The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a balanced track and is likely to stay intact throughout the match. The average score in the first innings in the last 10 matches at this stadium is 318.
In this World Cup, however, the teams batting first have generally managed to get the most out of powerplays than the teams batting second.
The aggregate first powerplay score for teams batting first is 209, while for teams batting second is 168. Teams batting first have lost just 5 wickets in the first powerplay while the ones batting second have lost 17.
Hence, the captain winning the toss is likey to put his team to bat first.
When it comes to pace vs spin comparison, the pacers have taken 83% of the total wickets at this venue.
India vs New Zealand Weather Report: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
During the day, the temperature at the Wankhede Stadium is expected to be around 32 degrees Celsius, with cloud cover arond 86%, as per Accuweather. In the night, the temperature will be around 16 degrees, with the cloud cover reducing to 18%.
While the chance of rain during the entire day is 0%, the pacers would look to make the most of overcast conditions at the venue in their bid to bag early wickets.
