The first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is being played at the Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester. New Zealand won the toss and batted first to post 239 runs.
India, set out to chase 240 runs, are in a soup with four wickets down for less than 50 runs on the board.
If India though, somehow manage to chase this total, India will become the first team to qualify for the finals.
206 runs- the highest total chased in last five years at this venue
The biggest total which has been successfully chased down in the last five years at this stadium is 206 runs. This match was played between Australia and England. The Aussies batted first to post 205 runs while the Englishmen successfully chased down the total, winning the match by one wicket.
285- the highest total ever chased at this venue
At Manchester’s Old Trafford, the highest total that has ever been chased successfully is 285. This match was played between England and New Zealand in 1986 and the Kiwis had batted first to score 284 runs. In reply, England reached the target with just four wickets down.
How many teams have won chasing at this venue?
As many as seven teams have managed to win while chasing at this venue. The most successful chasing team at this venue are England who have won 17 matches chasing at this venue. Australia have won four, Pakistan two, while India, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies have won a match each.
India won World Cup semifinal here
India has only managed one win at this venue while chasing. Coincidentally, that too was a semifinal of a World Cup. This was 1983 World Cup semi-final in which England had batted first to score 213 runs. In response, India reached the target with four wickets down to reach the finals.
This Indian team, led by Kapil Dev, went on to lift the World Cup in 1983 by defeating the then defending Champions West Indies in the finals at Lord’s.