Trent Boult can get Rohit Sharma at Old Trafford, feels former NZ coach Mike Hesson

India will play New Zealand in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2019 at Old Trafford, Manchester. This will be the first time that the two teams will be facing off in the knockouts of the mega event. Virat Kohli’s team, which won seven out of their eight completed games in the edition, will start as favourites against Kane Williamson’s men who have lost their last three games after making a good start.

Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson conceded that India will start as favourites in Tuesday’s game but also reminded that nothing could be taken for granted in a knock-out affair. He also said that the Black Caps will have to raise their game by a few notches if they fancy beating India to make their second successive World Cup final after 2015.

“From a batting point of view, New Zealand has not been able to put up a solid performance yet. Looking from their point of view, they can take comfort from the fact that they have reached the semifinal despite the batting not firing. If the likes of Martin Guptill, Tom Latham and Ross Taylor can hit their straps, they are capable of producing an upset,” Hesson, who is the coach of Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League, wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Very few of the New Zealand batsmen are in form in this World Cup. Their opening duo of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro has had a pathetic run while promoting Henry Nicholls too hasn’t paid off. Down the order, experienced batsmen like Ross Taylor and Tom Latham have also not been in consistent form. It has all come down on captain Williamson to carry his team’s batting.

Mike Hesson felt wickets with the new ball would be key for the Kiwis and also backed Trent Boult to get Rohit Sharma early as well. “The ability of New Zealand to take wickets with the new ball is going to be critical. Trent Boult plays a massive part in that. I believe that Boult can get Rohit Sharma out with the swinging ball. If the pitch offers swing — which has been the case at Old Trafford in previous matches — then it becomes more of an even contest between the two teams.

“However, if Rohit can get through the Powerplay, then he’ll be well set and ready to cash in,” he further added. Rohit has already hit five centuries in the tournament so far and needs just 27 runs to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring 673 runs in a single World Cup (2003).

Hesson backs Ravindra Jadeja in playing XI

“As for the team combination, I think Ravindra Jadeja is good enough to bat at No. 7. He should be one of two spinners in the eleven. At Old Trafford, both sides need to field six bowlers. Going in with five bowlers and no back up is a bit risky,” Mike Hesson said about the Indian bowling combination.

On the question of Virat Kohli, who is yet to score his first hundred of the tournament, Hesson said the challenge for the Black Caps is that even if they pick Rohit early, they give Kohli the chance to score a big hundred.