ICC World Cup 2019 – 1st Semi-Final: IND vs NZ – India Predicted Playing XI

Team India finished at the top of the points table at the end of the league stages in the World Cup 2019. The Men in Blue have been more dominant than any other team thus far. They only lost one game to England and will be facing New Zealand in the first semi-final. While everything seems great from the outset, there are still some calls to be taken by the management.

There is a great deal of uncertainty about the combination. Even at this stage, it still remains ambiguous if they’d go ahead with three pacers or two. Neither Kuldeep Yadav nor Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been at their best in the tournament. Hence, there are some changes that look inevitable for the upcoming encounter.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for India:

Openers (Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul)

The thought of getting the fourth consecutive century and equalling the record of Kumar Sangakkara must have definitely crossed Rohit Sharma‘s mind. However, the Indian vice-captain shouldn’t take too much pressure. He has been in some excellent touch and should look to make the most of his current form in this critical encounter as well.

Speaking about the current form, it has been quite good with KL Rahul as well. He has owned the opening slot and is fitting into his role perfectly. Rahul’s job is to play the second fiddle and get a good score. He’s lived up to the expectations and also got a fine hundred in the last game. Both of them are vulnerable to swing and should be careful against Trent Boult.

Middle Order (Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik)

After scoring five consecutive half-centuries, Virat Kohli‘s role with the bat was slightly subdued in the last two games. However, he’d like the openers to play the way they’ve been doing. The skipper is also in great form and can raise up to the occasion if required. He is still due for a big hundred in this tournament. Team India has got a fearless, aggressive batsman in Rishabh Pant at number four.

Evidently, it seems as if they’d give him a long run there. Pant has done decently well in the limited opportunities he has had and will look to carry on with the good work. MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik will be the two finishers for India. There are slight concerns about Dhoni’s batting but there are numbers backing him. Thus, it is tough to point a finger at him. Dinesh hasn’t got much of an opportunity to bat in the middle and will hope to come good whenever he gets his chance.

All Rounders (Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja)

Hardik Pandya is a must in the Indian batting line-up. The management has used him as a floater in the side and he has responded well to various different situations. Pandya has got a bigger responsibility in the next game and should take the onus of winning his team the match. He’s been doing an excellent job with the ball and has picked up crucial wickets.

Picking one between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja is a touch and go situation. But the management is likely to back the all-rounder given the depth he adds to the batting. When these two sides met in the warm-up game before the start of the tournament, Jadeja had an important contribution to make. If such a situation arises yet again, it is important to have a decent batsman down the order. Jadeja is a good option with the ball and is usually highly economical.

Bowlers (Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah)

Mohammed Shami is expected to be back in the team. He’s had a good rest and will be eager to come out and perform well in this match. Shami has been amongst the wickets regularly for India and should be the first choice if they are to choose between him and Bhuvi. Yuzvendra Chahal will definitely replace Kuldeep Yadav.

The leg-spinner has bowled well and even picked up important wickets. Jasprit Bumrah will wrap the eleven. He is the most important bowler in this line-up and has got a huge task ahead of him. Bumrah is expected to bowl a lot of his overs at the death if the team goes ahead with this combination.