The Kiwi bowlers spat fire, removing both, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on single-digit scores.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have both got out on single digits for the first time in over two years on Wednesday in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup and the last time they did, India lost the game by 180 runs. And, this time too, India ended up on the wrong side.
New Zealand reached their second straight World Cup final after beating India by 18 runs. Chasing 240 to win the first semifinal, India were dismissed for 221 with three balls remaining at Old Trafford.
It has been 2 years since India's sensational collapse in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval against Pakistan and on Wednesday, the past has come back to haunt the Men in Blue.
As New Zealand posted 239/8 on the board, the bets on the Kiwis winning would have been pretty low but the ones who did go with their gut could well end up as millionaires in a few hours time.
Rohit Sharma was dismissed on 1.
The Black Caps have come all guns blazing and India much like the ill-fated day in June two years ago have fallen like nine pins. A team heavily backed to win the contest are struggling and as things stand, are set to crash out of the tournament despite being agonisingly close to win the World Cup for the third time.
India is a team that depends heavily on its top-order and on the day when it mattered the most, they failed to turn up again. Rohit Sharma, who has had an outstanding tournament so far, scoring 648 runs and five centuries, fell to a peach of a delivery from Matt Henry and next to follow was perhaps, India's biggest hope -- Virat Kohli and all hopes looked to be over for the fans in the stands for India as their faces looked as gloomy as a typical English summer's day in Manchester.
The last time both of them fell for single-digit scores was in the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan -- a match that India lost by 180 runs and surrendered the final to a Pakistan team that didn't give up.
And, on Wednesday, that is exactly how the Kiwis came out.
Defending 239, Trent Boult and Matt Henry bowled quick and maintained their line and length and the Indian batsmen fell one after the other as the pressure of a semi-final once again looked too much to handle.
India were reduced to 24/4 inside 10 overs in their chase of 240 and as things stand, it is looking increasingly difficult for a half-cooked Indian middle-order to rewrite the history on a bright day in Manchester.
