Cricket World Cup: India reach final as Virat Kohli hits 50th hundred and Mohammed Shami takes seven wickets

Virat Kohli scored a record 50th one-day international century before Mohammed Shami took seven wickets as World Cup hosts India breezed into Sunday’s final with a 70-run victory over New Zealand in Mumbai.

Kohli eclipsed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 49 ODI hundreds by scoring 117 from 107 balls in India’s 397-4, breaking Tendulkar’s record for the most runs in a single World Cup in the process as he took his haul for the tournament to 711.

India’s innings, in which Shreyas Iyer smoked 105 from just 70 deliveries, was the highest in a Cricket World Cup knockout game – but New Zealand had hope of eclipsing it as Daryl Mitchell (134 off 119 balls) and Kane Williamson (69) put on 181 from 39-2.

However, Shami then took two wickets in the 33rd over, with Williamson – whom the bowler had dropped on 52 at mid-on – caught in the deep and Tom Latham (0) pinned lbw two balls later as the Kiwis slipped to 220-4 and ultimately ended up way short on 327 all out in 48.5 overs with Shami, fittingly, taking the final wicket.

Mitchell and Glenn Phillips (41) kept New Zealand just about in the hunt with a fifth-wicket stand of 75 but with the run-rate skyrocketing the ask became too much for the Black Caps against India’s high-quality bowling attack on a used pitch, with Mitchell seventh out as Shami clinched his third five-for of the tournament and the last six wickets tumbled for just 32 runs.

The host nation made it 10 victories from 10 and advanced to their first final since winning the World Cup on home soil in 2011, with South Africa or Australia to now await in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

New Zealand’s bid for a third successive appearance in the final was dashed – the Black Caps lost to Australia in the 2015 showpiece and were then beaten by England on boundary countback in 2019 – with Mitchell’s knock, which included a 107-metre six, coming in vain.

South Africa and Australia meet in the second semi-final at Eden Gardens Kolkata on Thursday – live on Sky Sports Cricket from 8am – with the Proteas looking to reach a first final and five-time champions Australia their eighth.

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Rohit starts fast, Kohli makes history and Shami sizzles

India’s record in knockout games at global ICC events had been poor, with just two wins in eight matches since they won the 50-over World Cup 12 years ago with a six-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka.

Pundits, including Sky Sports‘ Nasser Hussain and Simon Doull, had suggested that was down to playing fearful cricket but they were fearless at Wankhede Stadium as Rohit set the tone.

The skipper raced to 47 inside nine overs after electing to bat, cracking four sixes and as many fours, before he was caught brilliantly by a back-pedalling Williamson at long-off with the score on 71 – Tim Southee (3-100) striking with a superb slower ball.

Rohit’s departure bought Kohli to the crease and after surviving an lbw review on nought by dint of an inside edge, the latter went on to share a stand of 93 with Gill and then 163 from 128 balls with Shreyas once Gill retired hurt on 79 with suspected cramps.

Kohli eased through to a 72nd ODI half-century and turned that into a landmark ton, reaching the milestone from 106 balls in his 279th innings in the format.

The 35-year-old played the headline-making knock but Shreyas the more swashbuckling one, nailing eight sixes as he posted successive centuries – he also made an unbeaten 128 versus Netherlands on Sunday – and passed fifty for the fourth game on the trot.

With KL Rahul hitting an unbeaten 39 from 20 balls, including a six and two fours in Southee’s 50th over, India plundered 110 runs from the last 10 to set New Zealand a formidable target.

Rohit’s men looked as though they might race to victory when Shami nicked off Black Caps openers Devon Conway (13) and Rachin Ravindra (13) inside the first eight overs – Shami dismissing Conway with his first delivery and Ravindra in his second over.

However, Mitchell and Williamson rallied New Zealand with a massive third-wicket stand, one that should have ended on 147 in the 29th over, only for Shami to drop Williamson off Bumrah.

Shami atoned four overs later, dismissing Williamson one delivery after Mitchell had clinched an 85-ball ton and then removing Latham for a two-ball duck and even though Mitchell and Phillips gave their side a faint sniff – Phillips nailing Mohammed Siraj’s 41st over for 20 – it was not to be for the Black Caps.

Ravindra Jadeja pouched three late catches, including the one at deep midwicket that dismissed Mitchell, while Shami ended the game with two strikes in the 49th over as India won at a canter.

What’s next?

South Africa face Australia in the second semi-final, in Kolkata, with the game getting under way at 8.30am UK time.

Build-up begins on Sky Sports Cricket at 8am, while can watch Hindi coverage of the match on Sky Sports Arena from 8.20am.

The final takes place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Build-up begins at 7.30am on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event ahead of the first ball at 8.30am.