Are there any chances for change in CWC 2023 first Semi-Final venue, if Pakistan qualifies for the knockouts? Can Pakistan still qualify for the semis after New Zealand’s huge win against Sri Lanka?
Recently, New Zealand achieved a comfortable 5-wicket victory against Sri Lanka with 160 balls to spare. Sri Lanka was unsuccessful in restricting the target as the black caps scored 172-5 in 23.2 overs.
The black caps’ massive win has not only threatened Sri Lanka’s future tournaments but also Pakistan, Afghanistan, and England, finding themselves in severe jeopardy.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka CWC 2023 Highlights: Will there be any change in CWC 2023 first Semi-Final venue?
New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson decided to bowl first after winning the toss at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. It was a smart decision to field first at this venue, as the 2nd innings completely favored batsmen while chasing any target with ease.
Though Sri Lankan opener Kusal Perera scored his 2nd fastest half-century within 25 balls, it couldn’t rescue his team from reaching a decent total.
Finally, Kusal Perera had to depart earlier after scoring an instantaneous 51 runs from 28 balls( including 9 fours and 2 sixes). None of the Sri Lankan batsmen managed to make an impressive score.
New Zealand’s Best Bowling Performance:
Ultimately, New Zealand Bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 171-10 in 46.4 overs with their exceptional performance that includes:
- Trent Boult: 37-3 in 10 overs ( includes 3 maiden overs)
- Rachin Ravindra: 21-2 in 7.4 overs
- Mitchell Santner: 22-2 in 10 overs (includes 2 maiden overs)
- Lockie Ferguson: 35-2 in 10 overs (Includes 2 maiden overs)
- Tim Southee: 52-1 in 8 overs
New Zealand’s Best Batting Performance:
New Zealand comfortably chased the target with the help of their 3 best-performing batsmen including:
- Devon Conway’s supportive performance of 45 runs from 42 balls( including 9 fours)
- Rachin Ravindra’s instant score of 42 runs from 34 balls ( including 3 fours and 3 sixes)
- Daryl Mitchell’s brilliant knock of 43 runs from 31 balls ( including 5 fours and 2 sixes)
With this win, New Zealand has not only gained an additional 2 points but also enhanced its net run rate (NRR) from +0.398 to +0.743. At the moment, New Zealand secures their fourth position in the points table with 10 points.
If Pakistan loses to England or fails to win under certain conditions, New Zealand will be completely set to play against the hosts. In that case, it is confirmed that the CWC 2023 first Semi-Final venue is to be designated at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 15th November 2023.
Mumbai or Kolkata: Main Reasons for change in the CWC 2023 first semi-final venue if Pakistan Qualifies
If Pakistan achieves a tremendous victory against England, the CWC 2023 first semi-final venue will be shifted from Mumbai to Kolkata. Earlier, the PCB(Pakistan Cricket Board), requested not to schedule any matches for Pakistan in Mumbai.
Due to security and political issues, the venue will be changed to Eden Gardens, Kolkata on the scheduled date and time.
However, New Zealand’s gigantic win has kept Pakistan twisted in a problematic position.
CWC 2023 first semi-final venue is likely to be confirmed at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai after New Zealand’s win
The Black Caps have finalized 95% of their possibilities to play their first semi-finals against India.
New Zealand’s tremendous victory has maximized the chances of entering the semi-finals of CWC 2023. As a result, other teams find themselves in tricky situations for the upcoming matches such as:
1. Pakistan :
The upcoming match for Pakistan against the defending champions of CWC 2019 will be the most difficult phase ever in the World Cup.
Earlier, Pakistan had the chance to win by 130 runs or chase the target within 29 overs. This would have been only possible if New Zealand hadn’t won by a huge margin against Sri Lanka.
If Pakistan wins against England and gains 10 points, they still remain in the 5th position of the points table. This is because Pakistan will remain with a lower net-run rate compared to New Zealand. At present, Pakistan maintains a net-run rate of +0.036. Pakistan needs to achieve something miraculous to reach a net run rate of +0.75.
To surpass the run-rate of New Zealand and qualify for the semis, Pakistan needs to win against England under complicated situations such as:
- Batting First: The only chance to save themselves is to bat first and set a high total to defend. If Pakistan bats first, they need to score huge runs and win against England by 287 runs. In such scenarios, scoring more than 300 to 400 runs at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, is extremely impossible while batting first. Additionally, Pakistan needs a bit of luck while bowling to restrict England to the lowest double-digit score in ODIs, in order to win by a huge margin. Furthermore, Pakistan needs to win the crucial toss and bat first to achieve something extraordinary.
- Batting Second: Pakistan needs to chase any target within 16 balls( with 284 balls to spare) which is highly impossible. It becomes evident that if Pakistan loses the toss, they will be completely eliminated from the CWC 2023 tournament.
2. Afghanistan:
New Zealand’s win over Sri Lanka with a huge margin has virtually eliminated Afghanistan from this tournament.
As a result, Afghanistan needs to win against South Africa by 438 runs to qualify for the semis, which is highly unattainable.
3. Sri Lanka:
The Sri Lankans find themselves in a dilemma to qualify for the ICC champions trophy after winning only 2 out of 9 games in CWC 2023.
Sri Lanka’s win against New Zealand could have secured their chances of qualifying for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
However, their fate depends upon the upcoming matches of CWC 2023 with teams such as England, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. The Sri Lankans would be hoping for these 3 teams to lose by a huge margin to qualify for the upcoming champions trophy.
4. England:
In contrast to Sri Lanka, the defending champions will be aiming to secure their spot in the Champions Trophy 2025 after being eliminated from this tournament.
A win against Pakistan does not guarantee their entry into the Champions Trophy. Additionally, England needs Bangladesh and Netherlands to lose their final league matches to keep their chances alive for the forthcoming tournament.
Even if Bangladesh and Netherlands win against the opposition, the margin of victory matters a lot for England’s elimination.
Mostly, England will be aiming to bat first against Pakistan after winning the toss.
Concluding Facts about New Zealand’s entry into Semi-Finals: CWC 2023 First Semi-Final Venue
New Zealand is likely to once again face the hosts in the World Cup semi-finals after the World Cup 2019. Moreover, team India is in great form by defeating the top-performing teams in this tournament.
Besides, losing a match against India in this tournament, the Blackcaps will be aiming to defeat the hosts by making a strong comeback.
At the same time, team India will be aiming to continue their winning streak and strive to remain the unbeaten side of the tournament.
Also, there are enhanced chances of the CWC 2023 First Semi-Final venue being the same.
Similarly, India would be aiming to recreate the winning moments of the ICC World Cup 2011 finals at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
However, there are certain questions that arose among many cricket fans after New Zealand’s win against Sri Lanka such as:
Can Pakistan give an intriguing twist to New Zealand by qualifying in the semis?
Can Pakistan defeat England under the most impossible conditions to face the hosts in the semis?
(OR)
Will New Zealand repeat the winning moments of the ICC World Cup 2019 semis against India?
Can Team India give a perfect answer to New Zealand in the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals?
The answers to the above interesting questions will be known in the coming days…
