Rahul Gandhi lauds Team India for fighting hard in the World Cup semi-final

India finished the league stage of the 2019 World Cup on top of the points table. The Men in Blue managed to win seven out of their nine matches and finished with 15 points. However, disappointment encircled them at the Old Trafford in Manchester as New Zealand beat them by 18 runs to seal a berth on Finals day. The Men in Blue’s hopes of playing the final got thrashed.

The Black Caps made the final for the second time after 2015 and now await the winner of the match between Australia and England on July 11 at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. As far as the match is concerned, the Kiwis won the toss and elected to bat first, but huffed and puffed their way to 239 in their 50 overs. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor scored the fifties to guide their team.

For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most successful bowler with three wickets. Meanwhile, the game went into the reserve day after rain played spoilsport. During their run-chase, India lost Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul with the score at five in the fourth over. Thereafter, Dinesh Karthik also perished. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya promised with the 30s, but even they couldn’t carry on.

Jadeja and Dhoni’s efforts fall short

MS Dhoni (50) and Ravindra Jadeja (77) tried their hearts out with a stand of 116 runs and got India close to the target. With 52 runs needed off 30 balls, Kohli’s men fell short. Martin Guptill pulled off a stunning direct hit to run Dhoni out and the dismissal literally sealed the fate of the match. For the second time in a row, India bowed out of the World Cup in the semi-final.

New Zealand wasn’t considered as favourites to make the finals, but they punched above their weight. In the meantime, Rahul Gandhi, the Indian politician, lauded India for their fighting approach. Moreover, the 49-year-old congratulated New Zealand for making the finals.

He took to Twitter and wrote, “Though they’re a billion broken hearts tonight, Team India, you put up a great fight and are deserving of our love & respect. Congratulations to New Zealand on their well-earned win, that gives them a place in the World Cup final,”

Here is Rahul Gandhi’s tweet