By Meena Kar
Aug 27, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The virtual semifinal between India and New Zealand was a highly anticipated clash with both the teams equally matched in terms of talent and experience. Considering that the veterans like Sachin Tendulkar, Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum were missing in the match, it was a chance for the youngsters of both the sides to prove their worth before the final against the inform Sri Lanka. The unpredictable Dambulla pitch provided the perfect platform for the fast bowlers to exploit the conditions.

Batting first after winning the toss, the Indian batsmen struggled badly against the disciplined Kiwi bowling attack. 4 out of the top 5 batsmen failed to cross the 1 digit mark. Delhi Daredevil, Virender Sehwag, the only one who managed to cross the mark, crossed it by a fair margin and scored a blistering hundred at more than run-a-ball. Indian captain MS Dhoni provided some support in the middle and the score reached an almost unassailable 223.

New Zealand started badly and never managed to recover. With a line-up that boasted of Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra, the Indian seam bowling attack finally managed to show some class and ensured that India make it to the finals comfortably. Some resistance, however, came from Kyle Mills but it was a case of too little too late. The New Zealand team folded finally at 118 and India will now face the hosts in the final on Aug 28. Considering the disaster that befell India in the last match against Sri lanka, the win against New Zealand will give them the much needed momentum for the finals.