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ICC World Cup 2023: Will the overcast conditions and tricky pitch in Wankhede come in aid for the pacers for the semis?

Team India will take on Team New Zealand in a crucial semifinal encounter scheduled to take place in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

By Soumya | Nov 15, 2023 | 3 Min Read

The Wankhede Cricket stadium in Mumbai is all decked up to witness one of the most crucial clashes between India and New Zealand. Both teams hope to book a spot in the final of the tournamnet. Rohit Sharma’s men have remained unbeaten in the competition so far. The men in blue have won all 9 league matches. Subsequently, Team India entered the semi-finals without a single defeat to their name. On the other hand, New Zealand won only 5 of their 9 matches, losing one of the 4 against India.

As the two teams square-off for a spot in the final, it won’t just be a contest between the bat and the ball but also the conditions at the venue. According to various reports, the pacers will be in a paradise when it comes to bowling in Wankhede. Let us see what does the pitch report and the weather forecast has to say for the same.

Pitch Report

The pitch in Wankhede is a balanced track and is likely to stay intact throughout the match. The average score in the first innings in the last 10 matches at this stadium is 318. However, in this World Cup teams batting first have generally managed to get the most out of powerplays than the teams batting second.

The aggregate first powerplay score for teams batting first is 209. While for teams batting second the score is somewhere 168. Teams batting first have lost just 5 wickets in the first powerplay while the ones batting second have lost 17. Naturally, it’s a no brainer that captain Rohit Sharma decided to bat first. But, when it comes to pace vs spin comparison, the pacers have taken 83% of the total wickets at this venue. Therefore, the likes of Boult, Southee, Shami, Siraj and Bumrah will relish bowling on this wicket.

Weather Report

During the day, the temperature at the Wankhede Stadium is expected to be around 32 degrees Celsius. Additionally, there will be a cloud cover arond 86%. While during the night, the temperature will be around 16 degrees. However, there will be a decrease in the cloud cover to 18%. On the other hand, the chance of rain during the entire day is 0%. This is a great relief for the fans as well as the players who expect a 100 overs contest. Moreover, the pacers would look to make the most of overcast conditions at the venue in their bid to bag early wickets. But, the most surprising part is there has been no confirmation of the dew factor till now. It will be interesting to see whether the dew factor comes in to make the chase interesting.