IND vs NZ: What happened when India and New Zealand clashed in 2-day 2019 World Cup semi-final?

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IND vs NZ: India and New Zealand will be clashing against each other in the first semi-final of the World Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 15. The match will be the recap of the 2019 World Cup semi-final in which India suffered a heartbreaking 18-run defeat.

The memories of the mach have haunted billions of Indians across the globe for the last four years. Now that India and New Zealand are again going to cross paths in World Cup 2023 semi-finals, those painful memories have come back rushing to send shivers down the spine of the fans.

Not only the fans, but the 15 players part of India's World Cup squad would also certainly be wary of the fact that New Zealand have been their nemesis in the ICC events. India's defeat in the 2021 T20 World Cup forced them out the tournament in the group stage.

New Zealand also handed India an 8-wicket defeat in the maiden final of ICC World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021. In fact, India failed to beat New Zealand in an ICC event match for 20 years. The streak was just broken earlier in the ongoing World Cup 2023. India defeated New Zealand in Dharamsala by four wickets in their fifth match of the ICC marquee event.

The win would give India a lot of confidence in the all-important semi-final. But the Men in Blue also need to take lesson from the mistakes they made against New Zealand fours ago.

IND vs NZ: What happened when India and New Zealand clashed in 2019 World Cup semi-final?

Kane Williamson's New Zealand elected to bat first after win the toss on July 9, 2019. India pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah kept things tight for the New Zealand openers and reaped benefit in the fourth over. Bumrah got the wicket of dangerous Martin Guptill (1) with just one run on the board.

But a couple of decent partnership took the pressure off New Zealand. Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls partnered for 68 runs off 89 balls. For the third wicket, Williamson and Ross Taylor forged a 65-run partnership off 102 balls.

Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls were sent back the pavilion by Ravindra Jadeja. When Hardik Pandya defeated Jimmy Neesham for 12 off 18 on the final ball of the 41st over, New Zealand were reduced to 162/4.

Another 38-run partnership between Colin de Grandhomme (16 off 10) and Taylor (74) took New Zealand to 200. Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck for the first time to get rid of Grandhomme in the 45 overs.

The play had to be stopped seven deliveries due to rain. The play could not resume and the 'Reserve Day' option was activated. New Zealand returned the next day and resumed from their overnight score of 211/5 in 46.1 overs to finish at 239/8 in 50.0 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with figures of 3/43 in 10 overs.

IND vs NZ: The epic India collapse

A 240-run target for the famed India batting line-up was expected to an easy one if not a cakewalk. The fans had already imagined India playing in the mega final but left-arm pacer Trent Boult and Matt Henry had completely different plans.

Rohit Sharma was dismissed for one in the second over. Virat Kohli was trapped for one by Boult in the third over. KL Rahul edged one to wicket-keeper Tom Latham and left for one off 7 in the fourth over. India were three down for five, Dinesh Karthik, who directly got an opportunity in the semi-finals, fell for six off 25 but only after a stunning catch from Neesham at points. Karthik was Henry's fourth victim.

With India 24/4 in 10 overs, a 47-run partnership brewed between Rishabh Pant (32) and Hardik Pandya (32). Pant lost is calm in the 23rd and decided to break shackles by deciding to hit a six off Mitchell Santer. However, he ended up giving a catch to Grandhomme at cow corner.

Santer lured Hardik in the 31st over to go for a wild slog across the line. The very next moment the ball ballooned up over mid-wicket where Kane Williamson and took a very good catch. India were six down for 92 now and the onus was completely on Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni.

IND vs NZ: Dhoni and Jadeja's epic fightback

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja kept India afloat first and then gave New Zealand a major scare by upping the ante towards the end. On the surface where no batters from both the teams could score freely, and no partnership came at a good strike rate, Dhoni and Jadeja collected 116 runs off 104 balls.

Jadeja played the role of the aggressor, slamming four boundaries and as many sixes to score 77 off 59 before getting caught at long-off by Kane Williamson on a Boult delivery in 48th over. The ball was there to be hit but Boult took of pace and that out did Jadeja.

Dhoni played second fiddle in the presence of Jadeja. He had mastered the act of taking the game deep and winning matches for India. At the end of 48th over, Dhoni was batting on 43 off 69.

The former India captain hit a six off Lockie Ferguson on the first ball of the 49th over. The equation came down to 25 off 11. A dot ball followed, and the fatal third delivery saw Dhoni - one of the fastest batters in between the wickets - getting out while trying to steal a double with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

A rocket throw from Martin Guptill hit the stumps directly as Dhoni fell short of the crease. The stunned crowd at the Old Trafford, Manchester and billions watching could not believe what they were watching. Dhoni walked back with a hint of tear in his eye for one last time in India blue. Bhuvneshwar was dismissed on the final delivery.

India's number ten Yuzvendra Chahal hit a boundary before getting edging one to Latham on the third delivery of the 50th over as India were bundled out for 221 to crash out of the tournament.