The first semi-final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup will see the table-toppers Indian team will be squaring off against the 4th-placed New Zealand team on July 9. The match will be played at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England, with the start time scheduled for 3.00 PM IST. It will be their first meeting in this World Cup as their league match was washed out. IND vs NZ, CWC 2019 Semi-Final Preview: Virat Kohli's India And Kane Williamson's New Zealand Battle It Out For a Place in Final.

Talking about the league stage, both India and New Zealand were unbeaten till their sixth match in the tournament – that's where things changed. India lost 1 out of their 3 matches, whereas New Zealand won 1 out of 3. India finished the league stage with maximum points amongst all teams, i.e. 15. As for New Zealand, they finished on the fourth spot with 11 points on their kitty. India vs New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Semi-Final Weather Report From Manchester: Check Out Rain Forecast and Pitch Report of the Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

As New Zealand and India prepare to face-off against for the first and perhaps the last time in World Cup 2019, we at LatestLY bring you a list of the mini-battles that the fans will be looking forward to, in IND vs NZ, World Cup 2019.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Kane Williamson

The best Indian bowler vs the best Kiwi batsmen will be a treat to the eyes for the fans. The round one was spoilt by rain and hopefully, the second round between the best of both the sides lives upto the expectations. Both Jasprit Bumrah and Kane Williamson are in supreme form and would be looking to gain an advantage early on in the innings. It will be interesting to see which of the two has the last laugh in the match.

Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult

After scoring record-breaking five centuries in the ongoing World Cup, Rohit Sharma is playing on a whole new planet altogether, it seems like. New Zealand’s Trent Boult is in fine form, but would need a little more than that if he has to succeed against the Indian opener. Rohit Sharma is only a few runs away from breaking another World Cup record, this time of most runs in a single World Cup edition which is currently held by Sachin Tendulkar, i.e. 673 runs. Boult has had success against Rohit in the past, will he be able to repeat it?

India Vs New Zealand, ICC CWC 2019 Semi-Finals: Know More About Both Teams' Preparations

Lockie Ferguson vs Virat Kohli

Lockie Ferguson has emerged as the highest wicket-taker of New Zealand in this World Cup. To ensure that New Zealand one-up’s their World Cup 2015 performance, the pacer will have to attack the top 3 of the Indian batting order, especially Virat Kohli. The Indian captain is in sublime touch as well, given that he has scored 5 half-centuries in the tournament. Kohli is known to rise to the occasion like no other player in the modern era and would be eyeing a big one against the Kiwis. Will Ferguson be able to halt Kohli’s march on Tuesday?

Both India and New Zealand have had an amazing run in the World Cup so far. However, the Black Caps did face a couple of obstacles in the later stage, but one cannot rule them out at their own peril. The Indian team has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory many times, and would be hoping that the first semi-final is not a repeat of the same phenomenon. Stay tuned to LatestLY for all the latest updates on ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2019 10:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).