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The stage is set for Team India to bury the demons of 2019 once and for all. The heartbreak inflicted by New Zealand four years ago still haunts Indian cricket and its fans. Now, the timing and occasion cannot be more perfect for the Men in Blue to settle the scores. Rohit Sharma's brigade will square off against the Blackcaps in the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15 (Wednesday).
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Ahead of the box-office knockout match, Indian skipper Rohit will have his hands full when it comes to nailing down a perfect playing XI. Going by Hitman's philosophy and pattern, India will most probably feature an unchanged playing XI. Since the time Hardik Pandya got injured, Rohit has stuck with the same combination, irrespective of the conditions. Rohit's decisions have paid rich dividends as the Men in Blue put on a flawless performance in the league stage.
Thus, when it comes to India's playing XI for the semi-final, expect Rohit to stick with what has worked so far.
India predicted playing vs New Zealand: ODI World Cup semi-final
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will be tasked to give India a perfect start in the semi-final. Things can get a little tricky if India is asked to chase. Under lights, the new ball has swung viciously at the Wankhede Stadium and all the team's top order have been exposed in the second innings in all four matches played at the venue.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have all scored at least one century in the ongoing edition of the quadrennial competition. In a crunch game, the troika would have to remain vigilant and take the onus to put the team in a solid position. Suryakumar Yadav has played a couple of handy knocks but his opportunities have been far and few with the top order firing in unison. Having said that, the explosive batter might turn out to be India's trump card in a do-or-die game.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja has been exceptional with the ball, picking 16 wickets in the tournament. With the bat, Jadeja played a crucial inning against New Zealand in the league. The superstar all-rounder would once again be the X-factor for India.
Bowlers: Led by Jasprit Bumrah, India's pace attack has oozed class. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami have bowled superbly and the Indian pace troika has dismantled the opposition's batting line-up in great style. Kuldeep Yadav has ensured that the good work done by the pacers doesn't go to waste. The left-arm wrist spinner has played his role to perfection.
India predicted playing vs New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
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