England register a comfortable victory against the Tigers

New Zealand reached their second World Cup final with a stunning 18-run win over shell-shocked India at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

New Zealand stunned India to reach their second successive World Cup final as they survived Ravindra Jadeja's late heroics to clinch a thrilling 18-run win at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

It was a superb display by the underdog Black Caps, who came into the match on the back of three straight defeats by Pakistan, Australia and England and only qualified for the semi-finals on net run-rate, while India topped the 10-team group stage.

New Zealand will face the winners of Thursday's second semi-final between Australia -- the team that beat them in the 2015 final -- and hosts England in Sunday's title match at Lord's.

Two-time world champions India lost key batsmen Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for just one run each.

They slumped to five for three in pursuit of a target of 240 and were 24 for four when Dinesh Karthik was out.

New Zealand pacemen Matt Henry (three for 37) and Trent Boult (two for 42) did the damage with the new ball.

India, one of the pre-tournament favourites, were all but beaten at 92 for six when Jadeja came in to bat alongside veteran former captain MS Dhoni.

The pair gave India hope during a World Cup record seventh-wicket stand of 116, all-rounder Jadeja boldly leading the way with 77.

Jadeja hit well-struck sixes off both Jimmy Neesham and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner during a 39-ball fifty.

With 10 overs left, India were 150 for six and needing a further 90 runs off the final 60 balls of the innings.

Jadeja got them closer with a superb straight six off fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and, with five overs left, the target was down to 52.

But with India in sight of an amazing win, left-hander Jadeja's 59-ball innings, featuring four fours and four sixes, ended when he skyed Boult to New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

It was a fine, if ultimately futile, effort from Jadeja, dismissed as a "bits and pieces player" by former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, after he had also taken one for 34 with his left-arm spin and been brilliant in the field.

With India needing 31 off two overs, Dhoni uppercut Ferguson for six to the delight of the massed ranks of India fans in the crowd.

But going for a second run to keep the strike, the 38-year-old Dhoni, India's 2011 World Cup-winning captain, was just run out by Martin Guptill's direct hit for 50 off 72 balls.

- Shock victory -

With 23 required off the last six balls, tailender Yuzvendra Chahal glanced Neesham for four.

But the match finished with three balls to spare when Chahal edged to wicketkeeper Tom Latham, a review confirming his dismissal and New Zealand's shock victory.

Sharma, who had already made a five hundreds at this tournament -- a record for a single World Cup, began the procession of top-order dismissals when he was caught behind off Henry.

Kohli fell next, lbw to a superb inswinger from left-armer Boult.

Kohli reviewed but replays upheld English official Richard Illingworth's original out decision on umpire's call.

India were then five for three when Rahul was brilliantly caught by a diving Latham after edging Henry.

At that stage, India had lost three wickets for one run in 10 balls.

Neesham then held a brilliant superb one-handed catch at backward point to dismiss Karthik off Henry.

Rishabh Pant holed out for 32 when he was caught at deep midwicket by Colin de Grandhomme following a lofted sweep off Santner.

India suffered another setback when Hardik Pandya, slogging across the line, skyed Santner to Williamson at midwicket as he fell for 32.

Earlier, New Zealand added 28 runs in the remaining 23 balls of their innings to finish on 239-8 after rain had stopped play on Tuesday.

Ross Taylor, who resumed on 67 not out, top-scored with 74 after Williamson had made a masterly 67 in awkward conditions.

(AFP, Manchester)

Dhoni run out

A maginificent throw from Martin Guptill as Dhoni wants two but Guptill's direct hit takes off the bails before Dhoni could scamper back. India's last hope possibly gone after Dhoni run out.

Boult removes Jadeja

Trent Boult came into the attack in the 48th over to pick up the wicket of the dangerman Ravindra Jadeja. All hope rests on Dhoni as India neede 31 runs in 2 overs. Jadeja fell after scoring 77 off 59 deliveries.

Dhoni-Jadeja star in century stand

India have come back into the match courtesy of a 100-run partnership between Jadeja and Dhoni. The partnership cam in just 97 deliveries after India were struggling at 92 for six in the 31st over. India need 42 runs in four overs.

Jadeja smashes fifty

Ravindra Jadeja has been in exquisite touch on a day when most of the top order Indian batsmen have failed miserably. He gets to his fifty off just 39 balls when he clipped away an James Neesham delivery in the 42nd over to take a double. 

Dhoni, Jadeja star in fifty-run stand as India look to fight back

MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja stitched together an ongoing 67-run seventh-wicket stand after India were left struggling at 92 for six in the 31st over. The partnership between the duo has revived some hope for the Indians who have been struggling from the start of today's game. India require another 90 runs from 60 balls with four wickets in hand.

Santner removes Pandya with Kiwis firmly on top

The required run-rate was escalating and Hardhik Pandya, looking to get some momentum into the innings looked to heave Mitchell Santner over mid-wicket only to get holed out as the ball looped up after taking the top edge of the bat. Captain Kane Williamson ran back to take the catch with India in big trouble after losing their sixth wicket. Santner bags his second of the match as Ravindra Jadeja comes to the crease to accompany Dhoni. Pandya leaves after scoring a 62-ball 32. India need a further 146 runs from 19 overs.

New Zealand on top after Pant dismissal

Rishabh Pant goes for a wild heave off a Mitchell Santner delivery over the midwicket but only finds the fielder. India were looking to build a good partnership through Pant and Hardik Pandya after their early slump. The duo had strung together a 47-run stand before Pant lost his pateince and fell prey to a Santner delivery in the 23rd over. India in deep trouble in the first semifinal of the World Cup at Old Trafford in Manchester today.  

India lose four as New Zealand on top

Dinesh Karthik was sent back as Matt Henry gets his third.

Neesham dived to his left to grab a scintillating catch to dismiss Karthik who never looked comfortable on the field. He took 22 balls to open his innings but as soon as looked to get a start, Henry showed his skills to send Karthik back.

KL Rahul nicked one to the New Zealand keeper Latham as India find themselves in trouble.

Top three of the Indian batting line-up could not make themselves comfortable in the middle as the New Zealand seamers run havoc on the field. The batsmen look to have no answers to the bowling spell by Trent Boult and Matt Henry. 

Latham threw himself to his right and grabbed the ball with both hands in front of Ross  Taylor at first slip. It would have been better if Rahul left the ball alone. Instead, he nicked with it. Rohit Sharma was sent back in the same manner.

Dinesh Karthik came out in the middle to rescue struggling India

Virat Kohli sent back as India lose wickets within three overs.

The Indian skipper was sent back by Trent Boult as he was caught leg before wicket. Considered as one of the best chasers of the game, the departure of Virat was a huge blow to the Indians.

Rohit Sharma was sent back to the pavilion by Matt Henry.

Fuller than a good length ball angled in towards off stump as it straightened away aat the very last moment. The line prompted Rohit to play the ball. A huge blow as the in form opener was sent back in chase of 239 runs.

New Zealand post 239 for eight on reserve day

New Zealand posted a challenging 239 for eight in their semifinal against India, which resumed today after being suspended yesterday due to persistent rain at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

After being suspended for persistent rain yesterday, New Zealand resumed today from where they had left off yesterday -- 211 for five in 46.1 overs. With 23 more balls to play, New Zealand added 28 more runs on the board, losing three wickets on the day. Ross Taylor, who resumed the day on 67, was the first one to fall to a run out after scoring 74 off 90 deliveries. After that the Kiwis could only manage 239 for eight with Santner scoring nine off six balls and Trent Boult with an unbeaten run-a-ball 3.

IND v NZ: Play resumes on reserve day

After being suspended due to persistent rain yesterday, the semifinal between India and New Zealand has resumed on the reserve day today at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

Shakib Al Hasan said before the match yesterday that one of the disappointments of Bangladesh's World Cup campaign so far has been their fielding efforts. He may have been hoping that the match to follow -- the Tigers' last World Cup game against Pakistan at Lord's -- would be an exception, but instead it crystallised his point. That Bangladesh will go home before the World Cup semifinals owes much to their fielding lapses and their inability to win the crunch moments on the field.

On a slowish wicket, a 157-run second-wicket partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam was the backbone of Pakistan's above-par score of 315 for nine. Like in matches against New Zealand, Australia and India, Bangladesh had chances to change the momentum, only to fail at each pivotal moment.

With the partnership still shy of a hundred, Pakistan were under a bit of pressure with just 24 runs coming in the seven overs between overs 18 and 25. Also, all the pressure was on Pakistan despite the burgeoning partnership because they were still in with a theoretical -- if outlandishly wishful -- chance of making the semifinals. However, when it came to cashing in on the building pressure, Mosaddek Hossain dropped Babar, then on 57, at point off Mustafizur Rahman in the 26th over. There was another chance in the next over, but Mushfiqur Rahim failed to get his gloves to an edge off the same batsman, with the unfortunate bowler this time being Mosaddek.

Against Australia, David Warner was dropped at point when he was just on 10, and went on to score 166. India's Rohit Sharma was dropped in the deep when on nine and punished Bangladesh for 95 more runs, taking the game away from the Tigers.

The team and their fans often ruefully recall their second World Cup match against New Zealand, saying that with just a bit of luck they could have won the match they lost by three wickets. But it was Mushfiqur Rahim's missed run-out chance of Kane Williamson that proved to be the turning point in that match.

Players often like to point out that missed catches are part of the game, but when it becomes a feature rather than a bug like it has for Bangladesh, it will be a major factor in the team's performance. Bangladesh's ground fielding was also woeful yesterday, as there were numerous errors and fielders diving over balls to allow boundaries became a common sight. It all contributed to Pakistan scoring much more than they should have, and more than Bangladesh would be able to. Mehedi Hasan Miraz's excellent figures of one for 30 from 10 overs showed just how difficult it was to bat on a wicket if the bowlers bowled well and the fielders backed them up.

Everyone had been hailing Bangladesh's performance in the World Cup, but although yesterday was a dead rubber, winning it would have placed them fifth in the points table. With their fielding record in this World Cup and yesterday's performance in particular, that would probably have been a position too high.

Although it was an academic match for Bangladesh, skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza admitted in so many words after the 94-run defeat to Pakistan in their last World Cup match that the result coloured how their campaign would be remembered.

"If we could finish the match on a good note, we could have said that luck has not been with us," the 35-year-old Mashrafe, appearing downcast after what was his last World Cup match, said in the post-match press conference. "We have been really good in a few things, but a few things have not been with us."

One of those few things that were not on the Tigers' side was their fielding. Having let go of opportunities in crucial moments during the matches they lost -- against New Zealand, England, Australia, India and Pakistan -- Mashrafe did not mince words when it came to their failings on the field.

"In some matches, fielding really cost us -- ground fielding especially. It helps the bowlers when fielders back you up," Mashrafe said. "Catches were dropped, it happens, but when it keeps happening questions will of course be asked.

"Fielding, it has been a concern all of my career. When there is a partnership, we get down," Mashrafe said. "This is the part that a player can change. I think we really need to improve fielding."

Getting down when the going got tough was a theme of Bangladesh's performance on the field. Although Pakistan would also have had little motivation to do well as they needed to bundle Bangladesh out for seven runs to progress to the semifinals, they stuck to their task and finished their World Cup proudly. Mashrafe thought that it was the teams' contrasting lead-ins to the last game that made the difference.

"It was not like we took the field not thinking of a win, but when the team knows that they are not in the semifinals, in the back of the mind you are a little upset. In these situations it is difficult for both teams. Pakistan were in good touch in the last few matches. Momentum was with them. In our last match it was confirmed that we were out of the World Cup."

Looking back at the World Cup, Mashrafe said that a seventh-placed finish was not bad, and that there were a few positives.

"If we won today, we could have gone to five. We had a chance to go to five till our last match," Mashrafe said. "If we won against India, we could have had a certain type of momentum. I wouldn't say that seven is a very bad place to be.

"I was worried about all three departments before the World Cup and I thought that we lagged behind in all three. After the World Cup I see that there is a big difference in bowling and an even bigger one in fielding," Mashrafe said when asked where Bangladesh lacked against the big teams. "But after the matches against Australia and India, I think we are in a similar position in batting."