In a match that was spread over two days, it was India which came up short. New Zealand reached the final of World Cup 2019 after stunning India with an 18-run win in a rain-affected match.

Despite Ravindra Jadeja’s late heroics at Old Trafford on Wednesday, New Zealand held their nerves to reach their second consecutive World Cup final.

Chasing 240 for a win, India were bowled out for 221 in what was their second consecutive exit from the semi-final of a World Cup.

Jadeja kept India in chase with a stunning 77-run innings but once Trent Boult got him out, it was over for India.

New Zealand will face the winners of Thursday’s second semi-final between Australia – the team that beat them in the 2015 final – and hosts England in Sunday’s title match at Lord’s. </s> New Zealand has pulled off a staggering upset to knock India out of the World Cup and advance to the final after a dramatic second innings in their blockbuster clash.

Rain cancelled play near the end of New Zealand's batting innings on the day the first semi-final was scheduled and both teams had to come back again on Wednesday to finish the match.

The extra night's sleep worked wonders for the Kiwis but not for India, who collapsed with the bat to ensure Kane Williamson and Co. qualified for their second successive World Cup final - but not before an almighty scare.

Chasing 240 for victory, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja took the game to the wire, rescuing their side after a flurry of early wickets to make Kiwi hearts beat faster but in the end they fell agonisingly short.

From 4/24 India found itself needing 37 to win with three overs left and four wickets in hand, but the duo couldn't get the job done.

Jadeja skied Trent Boult into the air and was caught for a magnificent 77 off 59 balls and next over Dhoni was run out for 49 to end the Indian resistance and New Zealand celebrated a nerve-racking 18-run win.

"Great semi-final over two days and very pleased to be on the right side of it. It was really tough and we had to assess the conditions," Kiwi skipper Williamson said.

"We were underdogs coming into the semis ... and all these sides have beaten each other. Anything can happen on any day. It was nice to see the guys fight for two days."

The cricket world raved about the thriller in Manchester.

On Twitter, former England star Adam Hollioake wrote: "Unbelievable a country of 4.8m whose national sport is rugby can defeat a country of 1.2bn whose national sport is cricket...Unbelievable achievement."

After finishing its 50 overs at 8/239 - a sub-par score most pundits thought would be far too meagre to defend in the face of an explosive Indian batting line-up - the Black Caps stunned everyone as they began their bowling effort with a bang.

Three wickets in nine balls reduced the Indians to 3/5 after four overs as Rohit Sharma - who had scored five centuries already in the World Cup - Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were all sent packing for one.

Matt Henry had Sharma and Rahul caught behind while Boult trapped Kohli LBW.

The Indian skipper went upstairs to review the decision but Hawkeye showed the inswinging delivery was going to clip the very top of the bails and he was on his way back to the pavilion.

New Zealand turned the screws and soon had its fourth wicket when Jimmy Neesham took an absolute screamer at backward point to dismiss Dinesh Kartik.

The middle order batsman got a thick outside edge and Neesham dived low to his left to pluck a one-handed beauty just above the turf, giving Henry his third scalp and India was 4/24.

Hardik Pandya joined Rishabh Pant at the crease and India fans on social media couldn't believe Dhoni was being held back in the sheds.

The veteran wicketkeeper has played the anchor role with the bat all tournament - at times being criticised for scoring too slow at the end of an innings - and although this situation seemed tailor made for him he was kept on ice.

Pant fell for 32 in the 22nd over after miscuing a wild heave that left Kohli absolutely filthy.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner had started economically and Pant lost patience at the end of the tweaker's second over, trying to slog sweep him for six only to find the safe hands of Colin de Grandhomme at deep mid-wicket.

Cameras quickly panned to Kohli in the dressing room and his reaction made it perfectly clear he was ropeable with his young teammate, even rushing out onto the balcony to complain to coach Ravi Shastri.

Pandya also fell for 32 in the same fashion when he top edged a swipe across the line off Santner and all hope looked lost for India, who had been reduced to 6/92.

But Dhoni stayed calm and Jadeja came out firing to keep their team in the hunt. Jadeja blasted a half century off 39 balls with two fours and three sixes and, as he always does upon reaching a milestone, waved his bat like a sword as he acknowledged him teammates' applause from the dressing room.

The pair kept chugging along and even though they required more than 10 runs an over, the target was still within their grasp as they reached the final overs.

India needed 37 runs to win from the final 18 deliveries but Boult produced a near-perfect over, conceding just five runs from the first four balls getting the vital wicket of Jadeja.

The left-hander tried to bomb Boult down the ground but could only sky the ball in the air and Williamson swallowed the catch under immense pressure and Jadeja departed for 77 off 59 balls.

A direct hit run out in the penultimate over then got rid of Dhoni for 49 and the fat lady was warming up her vocal chords.

Another wicket in the same over was followed by Neesham's first scalp in the final over and India was all out for 221, 18 runs shy of the target.

Kohli said: "Difficult to take it, but New Zealand deserve it. Our shot selection could have been better, but we played a good standard of cricket throughout. New Zealand were braver in crunch situations and they deserve it."

New Zealand will play either Australia or India in the final at Lord's on Sunday.

On day one of what turned out to be a two-day clash, the Kiwi batsmen struggled for rhythm and found scoring difficult. Only Williamson (67 off 95) and Ross Taylor (74 off 90) made any impact with the willow before the rain came.

Day two started with the final few overs of New Zealand's innings and Taylor and Tom Latham both fell in quick succession, leaving India with what looked like a comfortable chase. </s> New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday sent good wishes to the Indian cricket team, ahead of their semi-final clash against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

"I have sent my good wishes to the Indian cricket team and I am hopeful they will perform well," Rijiju told ANI.

India have won the World Cup twice (1983 and 2011) whereas New Zealand are yet to lift the trophy.

The Men in Blue finished the group stage at the top of the standings with 15 points, whereas New Zealand finished fourth with 11 from nine matches each.

India would enter the semi-finals with winning momentum behind their back as they won their last two matches. On the other hand, the Kiwi side have lost their last two matches and they would look to change their fortunes around.

India will take on New Zealand in the semi-final match later in the day. (ANI) </s> The Kiwis will take on India in the first semi-final at Old Trafford in this year’s World Cup’s first semi-final. Both the teams have won 53 matches each in ODI World Cups. New Zealand defeated India in the practice match while India topped the points table in the league stage, therefore, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top but before that let’s have a look at few of the stats and facts.

New Zealand have beaten India in all the three matches that they have played against them in England. However, New Zealand have lost their last three matches in this World Cup — the first instance when they lost three consecutive matches in an ODI World Cup.

New Zealand have lost six semi-finals in ODI World Cups which is a record. Their only win in a World Cup semi-final came against South Africa in 2015.

India’s top-order batting average of 69.86 is the highest among all teams in the tournament so far. The difference between India and New Zealand’s top-order batting average is 28.81 while the difference in average in middle-order is reduced to 4.29 which means that it is a concern for both the teams. Therefore, if New Zealand bowlers can put some pressure early on the Indian top-order, it will make for an intriguing battle.

New Zealand are the only team to have an economy rate under five in the league stage of this year’s World Cup. Moreover, they also had the best average, while India had the best bowling strike rate. Therefore, it can be said that whichever team’s batsmen play well, will win the game as bowlers have performed almost equally well for both teams so far in the tournament.

Captains of both teams also performed more or less the same during the league stage. It’s just that Kohli has not been able to convert his fifties into centuries. If he does convert in the semis, it will be tough for Williamson and Co to stop India from winning the battle.

For all the latest news, opinions and analysis from ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, click here </s> New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson, center right facing camera, stands with teammates during a training session ahead of the Cricket World Cup final match against England at Lord’s cricket ground in London, England, Saturday, July 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

LONDON (AP) — There will be a first-time winner of the Cricket World Cup trophy when England takes on New Zealand in the final at Lord’s on Sunday.

England is in the title match for the fourth time, and the first since 1992, while New Zealand is playing in a second final, after losing to Australia in 2015.

After some early-morning rain, the covers are off at the home of cricket, revealing a green-looking pitch. World Cup finals tend to be low-scoring matches and this is likely to be no exception, if previous matches at Lord’s are anything to go by.

England starts as the favorite, having been the top-ranked one-day side for the past year and beaten India, New Zealand and then Australia — in the semifinals — in its last three games this tournament.

New Zealand, No. 3 in the ODI rankings, defeated India in the semifinals and should be better for its experience of the final four years ago. </s> New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): England created history after lifting their first ever trophy in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup at the Lord's Cricket Ground.

Team England defeated New Zealand in a match that had to be settled with the help of a super over. Cricketers Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes helped England to tie the 241-run total, that was set by New Zealand.

The winner could not be decided as both the normal 50 overs and super-over action ended up in a tie. In the super over, England scored 15 runs and they were able to restrict New Zealand to 15 runs. They won the match as they had scored more boundaries in the match.

As soon as England won after a thrilling match, fans from all over the world took to social media to congratulate the team members for their efforts. Several Bollywood celebrities too shared their thoughts after England's historic win against the Kiwis. 

Some celebrities hailed England for their excellent gameplay. However, a few of them were unhappy with the way England won the match depending on the maximum number of boundaries in the match.

Varun Dhawan, who is a cricket buff, wrote, "What a #WorldCupfinal. Unbelievable my entire family is awake. Who u got."

 

Riteish Deshmukh congratulated the England cricket team for their win but called the Black Caps "the uncrowned champs."

"Cricket at its best - Epic #WorldCupFinals - Congratulations @englandcricket the Champions of world cricket. My heart goes out to @BLACKCAPS - they were so so good- for me they are the uncrowned champs of #WorldCup2019," he tweeted.

 

Ace filmmaker Karan Johar, who was rooting for New Zealand, tweeted, "England had a better kundli! NZ had the better game!!! #NZLvENG."

 

Just like all the other cricket fans, Sidharth Malhotra too found the match "crazy, mad and emotional."

"What an epic final! Amazing cricket from both sides, intense crazy, mad, emotional what a high! #ICCCricketWorldCup2019 #EnglandvsNewzealand," he wrote.

 

Terming the rule as "stupid", Anurag Kashyap called New Zealand the "true winner."

"England is a winner because of stupid fuckin rules. New Zealand is a true winner," he tweeted.

 

While, Anupam Kher called cricket "the true winner". He also congratulated England and called New Zealand a "team of heroes."

"CRICKET IS THE WINNER in this #WorldCupFinal2019. What an unbelievable match!!! Congratulations England. Amazing Victory!! And #NewZealand is a team of Heroes. Jai Ho!!," he wrote alongside a video from the stadium.

 

Many other celebrities including Farhan Akhtar, Raveena Tandon, Mira Kapoor, Hazel Keech, Surveen Chawla, Paresh Rawal, and Vivek Oberoi took to Twitter to share their reactions on England's win. (ANI) </s> Several parliamentarians cheered for Team India today as they clash with New Zealand in the World Cup 2019 semi-final in Manchester. The Indian cricket team faces New Zealand in what is anticipated to be a high-powered contest with Virat Kohli's team seeking to become the fourth Indian team to enter the final of this premier cricket tournament and lift the coveted trophy for the third time.

"I wish our Indian cricket team all the best. I know they all are smart and wonderful boys. I am sure they will do their best. I pray that they bring the World Cup," said Hema Malini, actor and BJP parliamentarian from Uttar Pradesh's Mathura.

The sky above the Old Trafford stadium, which is match is taking place, has been declared a "no-fly zone" for Tuesday, an action prompted by a private plane displaying anti-India banners during the team's league encounter against Sri Lanka in Headingley.

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted wishes and letter to Virat Kohli & Co. "I have sent my good wishes to the Indian cricket team and I am hopeful they will perform well," Mr Rijiju told news agency ANI.

"I pray to god that they win the semi-final today and bring the World Cup too. I remember the 1983 victory," noted classical dancer and Rajya Sabha lawmaker Sonal Mansingh said.

Parliamentarian from Bihar Chirag Paswan too wished the Indian team.

India have won the World Cup twice - in 1983 and in 2011 - whereas New Zealand are yet to lift the trophy. Along with the West Indies team, India is the second most successful team in World Cup history.

India entered the semi-final with winning momentum behind their back as they won their last two matches. On the other hand, the Kiwis lost their last two matches and they would look to change their fortunes around.

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates. </s> New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bat against India in the first World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

All of the five previous matches in the tournament played on the Manchester ground have been won by the side batting first but the overcast conditions promised to assist India's pacemen.

"We're going to bat," said Williamson, who has been responsible for more than 28 percent of his side's runs at the World Cup, at the toss.

"It looks like a good surface. We've played a number of matches here so we know it's a good pitch," added Williamson, whose side beat West Indies by five runs at Old Trafford in a thrilling group match on June 22.

"It was 50-50 with the overheads (cloud cover) but we just have to bat well. We've got a great opportunity today."

Two-time former champions India made one change from the side that beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets at Headingley on Saturday to top the 10-team round-robin, with Yuzvendra Chahal replacing fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

That meant there was no place in their side for experienced paceman Mohammed Shami.

"We would have batted first," said India captain Virat Kohli. "It is a fresh wicket and is nice and hard and not moist.

"I think it will remain similar throughout the day. With a bit of rain around, the ball will get more wet as the game goes on.

"We have played really good cricket in Manchester. There have been two good games for us here (wins over Pakistan and the West Indies)."

"We are treating this game as normal as we can," added Kohli, whose side includes Rohit Sharma, the tournament's leading run-scorer with 647 runs.

New Zealand, the 2015 runners-up, qualified fourth after edging out Pakistan on net run-rate.

The Black Caps, appearing in their eighth semi-final but yet to win the World Cup, came into this match on the back of three straight defeats by Pakistan, Australia and England.

New Zealand made one change to the side that suffered a 119-run defeat by England at Chester-le-Street last week.

Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, their leading wicket-taker at the tournament with 17 scalps, returned following a hamstring injury in place of Tim Southee.

India and New Zealand have yet to meet at this World Cup as their scheduled group match at Nottingham's Trent Bridge on June 13 was washed out without a ball bowled.

Rain has been forecast for Manchester on Tuesday but there are reserve days for both semi-finals and the final.

India or New Zealand will play the team that wins Thursday's second semi-final between hosts England and reigning champions Australia at Edgbaston in the July 14 final at Lord's. </s> MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - The opening Cricket World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand will be played over two days after rain at Old Trafford prevented the match finishing as scheduled on Tuesday (July 9).

New Zealand were 211-5 off 46.1 overs when persistent rain worsened sufficiently for the umpires to halt play at 2pm (9pm Singapore time) with 23 balls left in the innings.

But after more than four hours off the field, the umpires eventually decided there was no prospect of even a 20 overs per side match - the minimum required under the Duckworth-Lewis method for rain-affected matches - being completed on Tuesday and they abandoned play for the day at 6.20pm.

The match, which remains a 50 overs per side contest, will now resume at 10.30am, weather permitting, with New Zealand on what will be their overnight score of 211-5, with Ross Taylor 67 not out and Tom Latham unbeaten on three.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had earlier made 67 after winning the toss, with Jasprit Bumrah (1-25 off eight overs) leading a disciplined India bowling attack.

If a 20 overs per side match cannot be completed on Wednesday as well, India would go through to Sunday's final at Lord's on the basis of having finished first to New Zealand's fourth in the 10-team group stage.

No reserve days were scheduled for the group matches of this World Cup, which has already featured a record four washouts.

Tournament hosts England and reigning champions Australia will contest the second semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday, with that match able to continue on to Friday if a reserve day is required.
New Zealand defeats India in the first semi-final of the Cricket World Cup.