"The good thing is that we have broken the ICC jinx against New Zealand" - Aakash Chopra on India's potential 2023 World Cup semi-final vs the Kiwis
Aakash Chopra believes India's win in the 2023 World Cup league-stage game against New Zealand will hold them in good stead in the potential semi-final clash between the two sides.
The Kiwis thrashed Sri Lanka by five wickets with 26.4 overs to spare in their last league game in Bengaluru on Thursday. The win virtually assured them a fourth-place finish in the points table and a semi-clash against the Men in Blue.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that New Zealand's win against Sri Lanka has settled the semi-final lineup. He reckons India having ended their losing run against the Black Caps in ICC events will help their cause, elaborating (8:15):
"The semi-final lineup is set in my opinion. Pakistan's story is finished. They are not going to win by so many runs. Afghanistan are also not going to win by such a huge margin. So their story is also finished."
The former India opener added:
"So New Zealand will be in front of India, this match will be played at the Wankhede on the 15th, and South Africa will be in front of Australia, which will be played at the Eden Gardens on the 16th. The good thing is that we have broken the ICC jinx against New Zealand."
Chopra doesn't see too many issues for India in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium after their convincing league-stage win against the Kiwis. He said:
"We were losing to them for the last 20 years but those things have changed now. We defeated this team in very good fashion while chasing, we grabbed them. So in such a scenario, I expect that Wankhede won't be that big a problem either."
Rohit Sharma and company beat New Zealand by four wickets in Dharamsala. They bundled out the Black Caps for 273 and chased down the target with two overs to spare.
"Australia are rising like a phoenix" - Aakash Chopra on their semi-final clash against South Africa
![Glenn Maxwell's exploits against Afghanistan took Australia to their sixth consecutive win. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/5d235-16995946964748-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra expects the other semi-final between Australia and South Africa to be an interesting affair. He reasoned (9:00):
"Australia are rising like a phoenix. It will be extremely interesting as South Africa defeated Australia very easily in the league match. They batted first, scored runs and bowled them out quickly. That match was in Lucknow, this match will be at the Eden Gardens. The pitch will be slightly different, a little spin-friendly."
The Australia-South Africa clash will be an encore of their tied semi-final game from the 1999 World Cup, where the Aussies went through because they were placed higher in the Super Six points table. The Proteas will hope to avenge that heartbreak by making it through to their first World Cup final.