Team India hardly showed any emotion once Lockie Ferguson nicked behind to formally end New Zealand’s challenge. Did they hold back their celebrations for Ahmedabad or was there a show of relief on reaching the final? That seemed to be the common sentiment in the end at the Wankhede on Wednesday.
Rohit Sharma’s men did overcome the curse of the semi-final with a 70-run victory but there were moments during the match when they could have fallen by the wayside.
Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell threatened to take the match away during their 181-run partnership off 149 balls but that was until Mohammed Shami came in for his second spell.
Having removed the openers inside the first Powerplay, Shami returned to nip their challenge with another five wickets — two in the middle overs and three in the final Powerplay.
He exploited the different angles by intelligent use of the crease. As always he was accurate and struck the vital blows at the most opportune moments.
Wankhede had fallen silent during the Williamson-Mitchell show. Shami had dropped a sitter from the Kiwi captain and decided to make amends.
Shreyas Iyer during his 70-ball 105 on Wednesday. PTI photo
He dismissed Williamson and Tom Latham within a space of two balls to bring India back into the mix. Williamson flicked straight to deep square leg and then brought one back to trap Latham in front.
But Glenn Philips and centurion Mitchell hung on while exposing India’s lack of a sixth bowling option. Mitchell though had lost steam after reaching his century. Bothered by cramps, he struggled with his movements.
New Zealand needed 132 runs off the last 10. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav turned the tide after Mohammed Siraj gave away 20 runs in the 41st over.
Kuldeep tied the batters down with his variation, giving away only two and four runs, respectively, in his last two overs. Philips and Mark Chapman were dismissed in quick succession but Mitchell hung on.
It needed Shami’s guile to put the proverbial final nail in the coffin. As Mitchell whipped Shami into the hands of deep mid wicket, the Indians knew the end was near for New Zealand.
Shami’s seven for 57, India’s best in this format, put to the shade Virat Kohli’s landmark 50th ODI century and Shreyas Iyer’s scintillating 105 off 70 balls which made the 398-run target possible. Only Shubman Gill was unlucky to miss out on a century.
The semi-final had its share of ebbs and flows but Shami had swung it India’s way with timely strikes.
