India defeated New Zealand 327 (Mitchell 134, Williamson 69, Shami 7-57) by 70 runs with 397 for 4 (Kohli 117, Iyer 105, Gill 80*).
India had no business giving New Zealand the anxiety it did during their 397-run defense, but in the end, they waltzed into the final and made light of the alleged knockout pressure. They are now just one victory away from potentially having the most successful World Cup campaign ever. They are currently leading by an average of 175 runs with 64.4 balls left and 6.4 wickets taken. With 89.2 balls left, eight wickets, and 147.67 runs, Australia emerged victorious in 2007.
By achieving this, Virat Kohli reached an incredible milestone—his 50th ODI century—in front of his spouse, Sachin Tendulkar, the man he passed, and the location of the symbolic torch-passing that took place 12 years ago when he carried Tendulkar on his shoulders. With three World Cups under his belt, Shreyas Iyer achieved the third-fastest century by an Indian player at 67 balls, marking his second consecutive century.
After a hardly credible 134 off 119 from Daryl Mitchell, Mohammed Shami’s 7 for 57 prevented New Zealand from winning.
Analysis of the match: Rohit and Iyer tear up the textbooks in Mumbai as school lets out
Take a look at Rohit Sharma’s results from this competition. Not a dad, one hundred, two eighty, and four innings between forty and forty-eight. That campaign—of all those people who never stop talking about conversions, of making starts become scores, runs into landmarks, and landmarks into skyscrapers—is a rolling troll. Up until recently, it’s reasonable to presume Rohit was one of those people.
And it’s been thrilling to witness, perhaps never more so than at the Wankhede, when a very real stake was involved and failure meant that the price of missing the opportunity to skewer a shot on 47 high into the sky before the powerplay finished was as high as it gets. Throughout this entire tournament, Rohit has batted with a carefree energy akin to someone quitting a horrible job, walking away from an unhealthy marriage, or deciding to become a committed nudist. This energy is released when one gives up a short-term toxic relationship in exchange for a longer-term reward.
Virat Kohli’s all-time high ODI century
Now fifty. Five-oh, big time. By surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 ODI centuries in just over half the time it took the great man, Virat Kohli has solidified his place in sporting history. This is one of the great marks in cricket that can never be surpassed. This sounds like such an absurd, inconceivable accomplishment to a generation that grew up watching Tendulkar lift India on his shoulders and propel them to the top of the world game.
