MUMBAI: A seemingly unstoppable India stand on the verge of their first World Cup final since the triumphant 2011 campaign on home soil but must face their bogey team in major events to get there, as they take on New Zealand in Wednesday’s semi-final in Mumbai.

Rohit Sharma’s side have been in incredible form so far, winning all nine of their group matches including a four-wicket victory over the Black Caps in Dharamsala.

However, India were also heavily fancied to beat New Zealand at the same stage of the 2019 edition, only to lose by 18 runs at Old Trafford, while Kane Williamson’s team also came out on top in the inaugural World Test Champ­ionship final two years ago.

But Sharma insisted on Tuesday his young team will not be weighed down by history as they have already shown they can handle the high expectations during their unbeaten run in the group stage.

The Wankhede Stadium was the venue when India defeated Sri Lanka in a 2011 final to win their second World Cup title following a 1983 triumph in England under captain Kapil Dev.

The build-up to Wednesday’s game has seen much speculation about whether Sharma’s men can join those celebrated teams as World Cup champions of whether New Zealand, who gave India a run for their money before going down by four wickets in pool play, will prove their downfall once again.

Rohit, however, insisted his foc­us was firmly on the here and now

“That’s the beauty of this team,” he told a press conference. “None of the guys were born when we won our first World Cup and then, when we won our second World Cup in 2011, half of the guys were not even playing the game.

“This current crop of players is very much into what is happening today, what can happen tomorrow…The focus is on how they can get better as a player, what they can bring to the team and the things they can improve.”

Sharma said he was impressed with how his men had managed the pressure from an expectant nation.

“From the first game to the last game, be it a league match, semi-final or final, whenever you play a World Cup game there’s always pressure,” Sharma said. “This is obvious because the World Cup is a World Cup, that’s why there’s pressure. But we have handled it very well in the last nine games.”

But Sharma said he was well aware of the threat posed by New Zealand, beaten finalists at the last two World Cups.

“Whenever we’ve come up against New Zealand, (they are) probably the most disciplined team in terms of how they want to play the game. And they play their cricket very smartly. They understand the opposition quite well.

“Obviously having played with a lot of our players in different stages of their careers, different tournaments, they do understand the mentality of the opposition. It’s the same for us as well.”

India head into the knockout match with star man Virat Kohli the event’s leading batsman with 594 runs and captain Rohit Sharma not far behind on 503.

They also boast a formidable fast-bowling line-up in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, and two spinners in Ravi­ndra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, who are capable of taking wickets without being flogged for runs.

New Zealand had won four straight games and were top of the table when the teams met last month. But injuries took their toll and they only reached the semis after snapping a four-game losing run with a victory over Sri Lanka, a result which all but ended Pakistan’s chances.

Williamson, who returned from knee surgery in time for the World Cup, and also recovered from a fractured finger during it, has a fully fit squad to choose from in their fifth straight World Cup semi-final.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee lead an experienced pace attack featuring the lively Lockie Ferguson, with miserly left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (16 wickets at under 25) an often under-rated threat.

New Zealand also boast a break-out star in left-handed batsman Rachin Ravindra, with the 23-year-old son of Indian-born parents having already scored 565 runs, including three hundreds, in his debut World Cup.

Williamson said on Tuesday that New Zealand will approach the blockbuster clash with a clean slate and confidence in their ability to upstage the in-form hosts.

“We know it’s going to be a really tough challenge. They’re a side that’s been playing extremely well, but we also know come finals time everything starts again and it’s all about the day,” Williamson told reporters.

“So for us as a team it’s very much the focus on our cricket again. We’ve played good cricket throughout. We’ve had a couple of narrow losses and a few wins along the way which have put us in this position we’re in. We’re excited about the challenge ahead. They [India] are a side that’s been playing extremely well, but we also know come finals time, everything sort of starts again.”

A capacity crowd of over 33,000 is expected at the Wankhede Stadium — the home ground of India captain Sharma — and Williamson said his side’s experience of playing in front of partisan crowds would serve them well.

“We’re expecting a fairly blue crowd that will be supporting their team,” Williamson, who knows India from playing in the IPL , said.

“We remember over the years, a number of different crowds that we’ve had that haven’t always been your own fans. We have got a small country that doesn’t always fill out the stadiums but you still appreciate the atmosphere it brings.

“Not many people get that opportunity, cricket in India, playing against India in a World Cup semi-final, is special and something to appreciate and look forward to.”

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2023