India’s World Cup dream ended with a painful 18-run defeat to New Zealand on Wednesday after the Kiwis’ bowlers ran riot in a rain-affected World Cup semi-final.
Rain forced the game into the reserve day with New Zealand at 211/5 after 46.1 overs. After the restart, the Kiwis added 28 runs to give India a challenging total of 240 on a wicket that was two-paced in nature.
India lost their top three batsmen for five runs and their chase never really recovered until Ravindra Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni launched a remarkable late fightback.
However, it wasn’t enough as New Zealand booked their place in their second-successive final by closing out the win in the final over of the game.
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The defeat left Indian players and its fans heartbroken after a period or poor cricket ended their dreams despite an excellent two years for the team ahead of the World Cup.
As the dust settled on the loss, Indian players reacted and thanked fans for their immense support.
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