Key events
Show key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature
26th over: New Zealand 128-2 (Mitchell 48, Ravindra 58) Jadeja skips through another over, the Black Caps happy to knock him about for three singles.
25th over: New Zealand 125-2 (Mitchell 46, Ravindra 57) The hundred partnership comes up off 102 balls – top stuff from Mitchell and Ravindra. Siraj is back, and Mitchell pulls away for four.
24th over: New Zealand 117-2 (Ravindra 55, Mitchell 40) India just starting to look a bit frustrated out there in the field as the New Zealand pair run hard, picking up three twos off Jadeja.
Fifty for Rachin Ravindra!23rd over: New Zealand 110-2 (Ravindra 50, Mitchell 38) A 56-ball half-century for Ravindra, who’s well settled now after a tricky start against the quicks. He’s having a terrific tournament, this his third 50+ score in five knocks.
The ever-excellent Rachin Ravindra brings up his fifty. Photograph: Darrian Traynor-ICC/ICC/Getty Images22nd over: New Zealand 107-2 (Ravindra 47, Mitchell 38) Ravindra cuts away Jadeja for four, seizing upon a slightly shorter delivery.
21st over: New Zealand 100-2 (Ravindra 40, Mitchell 38) Mitchell hits Kuldeep for another six! Again, it’s the shimmy down the pitch and straight hit all the way.
20th over: New Zealand 91-2 (Mitchell 31, Ravindra 39) After attacking Kuldeep, the New Zealand pair takes just one off Jadeja, the left-armer – bowling flatter and faster – far more difficult to get under for a straight thwack.
19th over: New Zealand 90-2 (Mitchell 30, Ravindra 39) Shot! Ravindra skips down the pitch to hit Kuldeep straight for six. And then it’s Mitchell’s turn to do the same – he sees a bit of flight and wallops the wrist-spinner over long-on. Fine batting from the New Zealanders.
18th over: New Zealand 74-2 (Ravindra 30, Mitchell 23) Jadeja races through his overs too quickly, making my life harder. C’mon man, give me a break.
17th over: New Zealand 72-2 (Mitchell 22, Ravindra 29) With New Zealand rebuilding, India need to mix things up; in comes Kuldeep Yadav to twirl a few. Ravindra nearly chips one back to the bowler with a leading edge, but it drops short.
16th over: New Zealand 65-2 (Mitchell 16, Ravindra 28) Jadeja, with his programmed left-arm spin (tight lines, decent pace), concedes four singles.
15th over: New Zealand 61-2 (Ravindra 26, Mitchell 14) A beautiful shot from Ravindra straight after the break – Shami is driven down the ground for four.
14th over: New Zealand 56-2 (Ravindra 21, Mitchell 14) Three singles off Jadeja’s over and time for drinks.
“Good morning Taha,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Taha has no breakfast. Bumrah has no wickets. Jadeja drops a catch. Kohli has not been mentioned so far in the OBO. Strange times indeed that we live in.”
13th over: New Zealand 53-2 (Ravindra 19, Mitchell 13) Ah man, I’d say my favourite shot going at the moment is the Daryl Mitchell thump down the ground. It’s here with the third ball of Shami’s over, with Mitchell launching over mid-on for four.
Have some of that. Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP12th over: New Zealand 48-2 (Ravindra 18, Mitchell 9) Jadeja now has the ball and he’s a touch too short with his second ball – Ravindra cuts away behind point for four. Three singles follow.
11th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Mitchell 7, Ravindra 12) Rohit is off the field – looks like he hurt his finger while fielding in the previous over. Oooh, Shami goes up for a catch behind and it’s given! But Ravindra reviews immediately. He swiped across the line, and UltraEdge shows there was no bat on it. Ravindra picks up two with the next ball before flicking Shami through midwicket for four. And then a drop from Ravindra Jadeja! Rachin Ravindra was giving him catching practise at backward point, but it’s spilled by one of the best fielders in the world.
10th over: New Zealand 34-2 (Ravindra 6, Mitchell 7) Siraj continues and after a couple of wides, Mitchell gets a tickle that runs away to fine-leg for four. A bumper to close the over is down the leg side for another wide, and then another wide as Siraj goes short again to Mitchell. A dot finally brings the set and powerplay to a close.
9th over: New Zealand 26-2 (Mitchell 3, Ravindra 6) Daryl Mitchell hits through the covers to pick up three with his first ball. Ravindra finally nails one off the middle, cover-driving Shami for four.
WICKET! Young b Shami 17 (New Zealand 19-2)After the excellence of Siraj and Bumrah, it’s Shami who strikes with his first ball! He gets a bit of seam movement back into Young, a touch of extra bounce perhaps, and it’s chopped onto the stumps. India are on top.
8th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Young 17, Ravindra 2)Just one slip now for Young, but he’s stood wide, at third/fourth slip. Siraj is relentless, and all Young can claim after five dots is a single to take strike for the next set.
7th over: New Zealand 18-1 (Young 16, Ravindra 2) Young gets away with one – a thick edge flies away from the slip cordon and to the third-man boundary for four. Bumrah’s cramping both batters with tight lines and a hint of shape.
6th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Young 11, Ravindra 2) Siraj is getting some decent shape away from the left-hander/into the right-hander. Ravindra and Young exchange singles before Siraj closes the over with a terrific off-cutter that Ravindra can’t lay a bat on.
5th over: New Zealand 11-1 (Ravindra 1, Young 10) Bumrah bowls one from over the wicket to Ravindra before immediately switching to around. There’s a vague lbw shout… and Rohit decides to review. It’s poor from the India captain, the ball comfortably missing leg stump.
4th over: New Zealand 9-1 (Young 9, Ravindra 0) Rachin Ravindra is the man in at three, and India are looking the part already.
WICKET! Conway c Iyer b Siraj 0 (New Zealand 9-1)The pressure builds and India strike! Conway goes for a nine-ball duck, flicking to the man catching between midwicket and square leg. The ball was on the pads, the shot was on, but he couldn’t keep the ball on the carpet.
A big wicket for India as Devon Conway is out for a duck. Photograph: Ashwini Bhatia/AP3rd over: New Zealand 9-0 (Conway 0, Young 9) Young looks like he wants to leave a Bumrah delivery, but he gets a chunky piece on it, with the ball finding the third-man rope. Bumrah’s moving the ball both ways, the seam immaculate, and this has been more Test than ODI so far, the openers having to be watchful.
2nd over: New Zealand 5-0 (Young 5, Conway 0) Siraj bounces in from the other end, two slips waiting as he shapes the ball away from the right-handed Will Young. The second ball is a touch too wide and short, and Young times the ball nicely behind point for four. Young leaves the next three balls before nabbing a single.
1st over: New Zealand 0-0 (Young 0, Conway 0) Bumrah, from over the wicket, moves a few away from the left-handed Conway before bringing one back in. The opener doesn’t take any risks – a maiden.
The popcorn’s no good. Someone please order me some brekkie. Anyway, Jasprit Bumrah’s got the ball, Devon Conway’s on strike. Let’s play!
The anthems are getting underway. I’m off to make a coffee and sort some breakfast real quick. For some reason, the only thing I’ve got at home is a half-eaten packet of popcorn. (Yeah, I’ve really got my life together.) Let’s hope my choice of sustenance is fitting for the game.
“If I remember correctly, the last time India and NZ played each other in a world cup match in India was the 2016 T20 World Cup, where India were all out for 79 at the hands of Mitchell Santner,” writes John. “Repeat incoming?”
Sounds about right – a proper turner, that pitch in Nagpur. Santner took 4-11, Ish Sodhi’s leggies nabbed 3-18 and Nathan McCullum got a couple too.
The teams:
India are without the injured Hardik Pandya, and Shardul Thakur drops out too. Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav are in for them. New Zealand are unchanged.
India win the toss and choose to bowl firstRohit tosses the coin and wins the call – India will field. Looks a good pitch, he says, and he’s backing his boys to chase. Tom Latham says he would’ve bowled too.
Rohit Sharma wins the toss and puts New Zealand into bat. Photograph: Manish Swarup/APHere’s a reminder of when these two teams met in the 2019 World Cup semis. What a game.
PreambleHello, hello, hello! Welcome to the big one. It’s the two sides who have won four from four, India versus New Zealand.
The hosts have – expectedly – cruised through the opening exchanges, the big names delivering: Kohli and Rohit are in great nick, and Bumrah has 10 wickets across four matches. India’s bowlers have yet to face a ball.
New Zealand shouldn’t surprise us. They were runners-up in 2015 and 2019, and they’ve reached the semis in each of the last three T20 World Cups too – they’re a cracking tournament side. And yet, well, they’ve caught me slightly off guard. Mitchell Santner’s bowled beautifully, topping the wicket-taking charts while going at less than five an over. Each of the top six has reached fifty at least once in the tournament.
So something’s got to give here. I’ll be here to take you through the first half, with play to begin at 9.30am BST. Drop me a line and let’s talk about anything and everything – and by that I very much mean let’s begin dissecting England’s nightmare World Cup defence.