Rohit and Shubman Gill are at the crease. Rohit is on strike. Boult will open the attack

Out walk - Rohit and Gill.

The umpires are walking out. The match referee as well. Wankhede is bleeding blue today.

We have made a few changes to our FH XI according to the conditions. Please have a look and pick your best XI.

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson(c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham(w), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

KW: We would have batted first. Hopefully, some dew later.

India have won the toss and have opted to bat

Rohit Sharma: We are gonna bat first. Looks like a good pitch. Looks like on the slower side. Whatever we do, we need to do well.

India have won the toss and have opted to bat

The great David Beckham and the maestro Sachin Tendulkar are in attendance, talking to a few Indian players.

Pitch Report | Ravi Shastri and Simon Doull: If you look at the spinners' length, it's bare, the spinners will come into play on this surface. As the game progresses, if there's dew, it'll play nicely. When you look at the center of the surface, there's a little bit of grass. There'll be carry for the fast bowlers from a back of a length. You want to bat first in the semi-final. When it comes to second innings, you just have to negotiate the first 20 overs. If that dew becomes a factor, it becomes a lot easier to bat on. You'll always get movement with the humidity around.

Here's Kaushik Rangarajan, our correspondent, from Wankhede - "Very relaxed build up for both teams. New Zealand huddled up under the shade (wise decision). Many of India's players taking penalty kicks towards a hurdle converted into a miniature goal post. Siraj and Kuldeep doing most of the bowling on the side pitch."

Unlike the 2019 WC, where India expected Rohit and Kohli to score every run and win them the campaign, there is a lot more meat and depth in this unit. This batting order mimics a hungry chain of batters who will prey on you endlessly. Everyone in the top 7 has played at least one match winning knock. They might have vulnerable resources for the lower order. But can't really ridicule the propensity and tenacity of Bumrah and Kuldeep in the face of adversity. They added important runs in the England game. But India wouldn't want the game to go there. NZ have depth in their batting. They bat deep. And Wankhede's wicket should ensure most of them shed every inhibition and just go for it. Like in 2019, the battle of the better execution should win it for a particular side.

Kartheek Kotupalli: Crush everyone in group stages and get thrown out in the Knockouts is what happens to India in past two WCs. Hope this time it changes. #FingersCrossed

Henry is missing similarly for NZ. But they have banked on the experienced Southee. NZ like the Big 3 don't have plenty of reserve players but they have a safe haven where they keep churning out enough players to keep them relevant. For example, Phillips has done it with the bat and the ball. KW has missed a lot of cricket in the last couple of years, Mitchell has come up the ranks. If being effective is an art, no better artists than this Black Caps unit.

India have been so seamless in their transition that Hardik Pandya's absence hasn't been felt. An Indian white ball unit without Pandya was unimaginable but now Shami's immaculate and envious seam positions have made India a stronger force. Last time India took on NZ, they went after Kuldeep. The only time the five bowler theory looked like being in some danger. But Kuldeep's confidence and his deception are intact. NZ will have to try harder.

The venue is Wankhede. These two teams met earlier at Dharamsala. NZ didn't mind the venue then and shouldn't be bothered much about Wankhede. There will be some nip under lights as Indian bowlers showed against SL. But once that goes away, chasing under lights isn't that tough either which Maxwell showcased with his freak knock. The captains will have their options hedged when they call heads or tails.

New Zealand have been finalists from the last two World Cups. Thus, they are in familiar territory. This is their fifth consecutive semi-final appearance. Needless to say they have been one of the most consistent sides of the last two decades in ODIs. From being labelled as Underdogs to Dark Horses to being one of the most disciplined sides, NZ cricket team over the years have worn different hats barring the one which terms them as favourites. They will once again go into this without many eyes on them. But it is their speciality to slip under the radar and hit you hard where it hurts you the most.