Comeback king Mohammed Shami's fifer helps India restrict New Zealand to 273 in World Cup clash

In a much-anticipated World Cup clash, pacer Mohammed Shami's return to the Indian team yielded impressive results as he claimed five wickets for just 54 runs, helping India limit New Zealand to a modest total of 273. Shami was the standout bowler in India's attack, replacing Shardul Thakur, and was instrumental in New Zealand's final total. New Zealand lost their openers, Devon Conway (0) and Will Young (17), early in the innings, but Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra formed a crucial 159-run partnership to revive their team's innings. Mitchell was the top scorer for New Zealand, achieving a career-best score of 130.

With both teams having won all four of their previous games in the tournament, this match marked the first loss for either side this season. The clash between India and New Zealand was highly anticipated, as it was a rematch of the 2019 semi-finals, where New Zealand emerged victorious. However, their group stage match in this World Cup edition was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.

In their recent encounters, India registered a win against Bangladesh, thanks in large part to Virat Kohli's 48th century, and New Zealand secured a victory over Afghanistan. However, both teams will be missing key players in this crucial match, with Hardik Pandya out due to injury for India, and Kane Williamson absent for New Zealand.