New Zealand are into the World Cup final after a thrilling win over India.
The Kiwis posted 239 following Tuesday's rain delay and looked destined to cruise home when they removed Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli with the new ball. But a brilliant fightback from Ravi Jadeja and MS Dhoni saw India roar back into it before Trent Boult's saw off Jadeja before Dhoni was run out in dramatic fashion at the death.
New Zealand will now face either England or Australia in Sunday's showpiece.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the first semi-final of the Cricket World Cup...India vs New Zealand.
Virat Kohli's side eased their way through to the knockout stage after losing just one game on their way to finishing first in the table.
These sides had their game against each other in the round-robin rained off, but New Zealand won a warm-up game ahead of the tournament. Further back than that and India were victorious in a bilateral series in January, winning 4-1 in New Zealand.
How many runs will Rohit Sharma get today? He's looking for a sixth century of the tournament.
We are down to four.
It threatened to twist and turn but ultimately the group phase went rather as planned, the four best sides on paper coming into the tournament playing to form and securing the four semi-final spots.
We've a mouthwatering England-Australia clash to come at Edgbaston on Thursday but first to an overcast Manchester, where two sides of contrasting recent records are eyeing a final spot.
Old Trafford is our venue for the first semi-final, table-toppers India in fine fettle and facing a New Zealand who rather limped through, closing their group stage with three successive defeats.
2011 winners vs 2015 finalists, and we'll have all the action covered throughout the day, starting with the rapidly approaching toss...
Both sides have selection decisions to make, India particularly so. Virat Kohli's side have a question of team balance to answer - do they stick with their tried and tested two wrist-spinners plan, or lean on an extra seamer with Mohammed Shami and Bhuvenshwar Kumar both pushing for selection? Can they fit the all-round excellence of Ravindra Jadeja into the side? What of Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav? Decisions, decisions...
New Zealand should be boosted by the return of fit-again Lockie Ferguson, who missed out against England, and the paceman should slot back in to the side in the place of an out-of-sorts Tim Southee. Henry Nicholls probably has just enough credit in the bank to maintain his place at the top of the order, while Ish Sodhi's mystery lurks should Kane Williamson wish to add another dimension to his bowling attack.
The toss is a matter of moments away, and there's something of a conundrum for our two captains this morning. There's a heavy cloud overhead that could aid early inroads with a swinging new ball, but each of the five games held at Old Trafford so far in the tournament have been won by the side batting first, and runs on the board are never a bad thing in a crunch clash such as this. It's tough chasing in knockout cricket.
To complicate matters further, there are a few drips and drops of rain forecast for this afternoon, and DLS could have a role to play. Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli are out in the middle and ready to flip that coin, so let's get to it...
New Zealand win the toss and elect to BAT first.
Just the one change for the Blackcaps - Lockie Ferguson returns in place of Tim Southee.
Virat Kohli confirms that he too would have looked to bat.
India make one change from their last game, a switch of wrist spinner - Yuzvendra Chahal replaces Kuldeep Yadav. Ravindra Jadeja and Dinesh Karthik retain their places, while there is no place for Mohammed Shami despite his strong tournament form.
Team News
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
Virat Kohli seemed relatively content despite losing the toss. He reckoned the pitch would stay quick throughout the day despite the trends of the tournament suggesting otherwise, and he'll back Jasprit Bumrah and particularly Bhuvneshwar Kumar to get that ball nipping and hooping early doors.
Pressure on Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls, who have both had their troubles against the moving ball.
There was a thought that India would stick with Kuldeep with a number of left-handers to target in the New Zealand side, but Yuzvendra Chahal's place at the top of the wrist-spinning pecking order has been affirmed. Neither has had a tournament of true success, but New Zealand have showed frailties against the turning ball against India in the past.
All-in-all this looks a very balanced Indian side, with a particularly deep batting lineup. I'd have considered sacrificing Karthik to get Mohammed Shami in and have that extra bowling depth, but Virat Kohli trusts his five-man attack and Hardik Pandya particularly has responded brilliantly so far in the tournament.
It does look rather dreary at Old Trafford, though the pitch looks firm and dry after spending yesterday under the covers. It's a new surface.
Objective number one for New Zealand will be surviving that new ball burst from Kumar and Bumrah relatively unscathed, preferably with linchpin Williamson still in the hutch. Ross Taylor has been one of the best batsmen in the world since the last World Cup - could it be a day for the veteran number four after a middling-at-best tournament?
Huddled beneath the duvet in the morning mire is the lovely World Cup trophy, hardly glinting in glorious sunshine but ready to watch on nonetheless. The nature of this format means these teams have come through the stickier part of the tournament and are just two wins away from lifting the trophy. Two good games of cricket, and it's yours...
Anthem time at Old Trafford. A heavily Indian crowd as expected, and slightly worrying clusters fo empty seats around the ground as the broadcaster picks out the isolated pockets of Blackcap fans singing along to "Aotearoa/God Defend New Zealand."
And through India's national anthem we trundle, and to cricketing proceedings we move.
No surprise shift at the top for New Zealand - Messrs Nicholls and Guptill to the middle, please.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will open up. Back from injury and back as the number two seamer despite Mohammed Shami's impressive returns.
0.1 - New Zealand 0-0, Martin Guptill 0, Henry Nicholls 0, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 0-0
Hello!
Length ball, Guptill plays round it, into the pads it cannons, umpire says no, India say yes.
Time for a review...
Perfect seam position, pitching on leg and straightening to hit the front leg on the knee, there's no bat involved and this looks close...
Ball-tracking: pitching in line, impact umpire's call, and it isn't hitting!
Guptill survives! India lose their review. That looked tight live.
1.0 - New Zealand 0-0, M Guptill 0, H Nicholls 0, B Kumar 0-0 (1)
Kumar chances another LBW appeal after his fourth ball also beats the bat, but finds support limited, and the umpire shakes his head.
His fifth is a beaut - swing away from the right-handed Guptill looking to push at it and a gnat's hair from the outside edge. Guptill blocks back the sixth, and Kumar starts with a maiden.
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