World Cup 2019 semifinal in Manchester: How much will India need to chase if New Zealand does not bat again

New Zealand was 211/5 after 46.1 overs when a heavy drizzle stopped play in the World Cup 2019 semifinal at Old Trafford in Manchester.

India's DLS target to get steeper with loss of overs.

The World Cup 2019 semifinal between India and New Zealand was brought to a halt after a heavy drizzle lashed Old Trafford at the fag end of the Kiwi innings on Tuesday. New Zealand was 211/5 after 46.1 overs.

The 1992 and 2003 World Cups both saw two no-results. The 2019 edition has already had four. A drizzle had been forecast, perhaps the rain gods are being naughty after having draped a wet curtain on the league fixture between the rivals at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge on June 13.

 

The last World Cup to feature reserve days was the 2007 edition, in the West Indies, while they were also used the last time it was held in England, in 1999. Only two matches made use of it then; incidentally one of them was India, which eventually knocked England out.

In the event of New Zealand not batting again, following is the set of targets India might have to chase to make it to the finals.

How does DLS work?

With wet weather expected to affect Tuesday's semifinal match, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method could come to feature prominently.

When a match is interrupted by inclement weather, and one or both teams do not get their full quota of overs, an outcome has to be reached in the time available after resumption of play.

What any calculation is doing is trying to adjust a target score according to the reduction in overs. Any number is an estimate: there is no one right answer. What the ICC has tried to do is arrive at a formula that takes into account as many parameters as possible and properly reflects the efforts of both teams.

The DLS method, which has been updated a few times, is generally considered the most accurate system used in international cricket.