After touching down in Mumbai after an easy 160-run win over the Netherlands, the Indian coaching staff had their game face on as they headed to Wankhede Stadium to see the surface ahead of the all-important semifinal against New Zealand on November 15. Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip inspected the pitch which will be used against the Kane Williamson-led side.
There was no training session for Rohit Sharma-led India as they dusted the cobwebs against the Dutch side after a comparatively long break. On the other hand, the New Zealand squad spent three hours training under the lights as they gear up for a rematch of the 2019 World Cup semifinal where they got the better of India.
Unlike India who stormed into the semifinal with nine consecutive wins, New Zealand have not been consistent enough. In their last league game against Sri Lanka, a win ensured their fourth position on the points table. Had they lost the game to Kusal Mendis' side, it would have opened doors for teams like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
New Zealand will be without the services of their pacer Matt Henry who won the 'Player of the match' in the 2019 World Cup semifinal. In his absence, it will be interesting to see whether Williamson sticks with veteran pacer Tim Southee or include Kyle Jamieson who is yet to play a single match in the tournament. Jamieson trained the longest among bowlers on November 13.
All Kiwi batters were seen in action fine-tuning their skills before the big game. Their highest run-getter Rachin Ravindra looked in good touch as he trained alongside Kane Wiliamson. Later Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell bowled as well whereas Williamson had his routine outside the nets as he did shadow batting for half an hour. The practice session was followed by a game of intra-squad football.
While India crushed a hapless Sri Lankan side at Wankhede Stadium, New Zealand are yet to play at the venue in the tournament. The toss will play a crucial role as the ball tends to do much more under the lights.
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