The first semifinal of the 2019 World Cup turned out to be atale of two days, and the Indian team learnt it the hard way. On Tuesday, ViratKohli's bowlers were on the mark from the get-go, strangling New Zealandthrough the middle-phase to lay the platform for a modest chase for themselves.Raincame as a frustrating distraction and kept the two sides out of the field for along while before the game spilt over to the reserve day, but with New Zealandon 211 for 5 in 46.1 overs, India went to bed as the happier bunch.But whenplay began on Wednesday, dark clouds hovered with the threat of rain and at thevery least favourable conditions for the New Zealand bowlers to take a stab atdefending their 240, which came thanks to laborious efforts of Kane Williamson(67 off 95) and Ross Taylor (74 off 90).

Matt Henry proved the signs were ominous when he removed theform-batsman Rohit Sharma in just the second over for a four-ball one. TrentBoult complemented him in the following over, when the left-armer sent ViratKohli packing for the same score. The early burst of pace and swing had Indiaon the mat at 5 for 3."The first half, we were very, very good. We gotwhat we needed at that point. We thought we had restricted New Zealand to achaseable score but the way they came out with the ball was what made thedifference. The game pretty much changed in those first 40 minutes when we werebatting," Virat Kohli conceded at the post-match presentation ceremony inManchester.

"They really put up a great display on how to bowl withthe new ball. They forced us to make errors. Pressure created was immense. Ithink for the first 7 or 8 overs we didn't get a ball to drive. That shows thekind of control they had."We knew we had a good day yesterday, we feltlike we had the moment, but the credit has to go to New Zealand bowlers. Theswing and help they got from the surface - the skill from them was ondisplay," Kohli said.

Once the New Zealand pacers made the early dent, India werealways behind the eight ball and struggled to break the shackles. Curiously,each of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik walked out to bat beforethe experienced MS Dhoni. Pant and Pandya put a lid on the quick fall ofwickets, but still found it tough to up the scoring rate.

As they too fell - in the 23rd and 31st over - New Zealandhad the game by the scruff of its neck. In stepped Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja totake the fight to the Blackcaps with an exceptional partnership. Jadeja,particularly, grew in stature as the partnership progressed, even giving theIndian dressing room the confidence that India might just pull off the chase.Kohli felt Jadeja's 59-ball 77 - laced with four fours and four sixes - wasprobably his best ODI knock considering the situation that it came in, and ruedthe game of margins in which New Zealand came up trumps towards the end.

"Jadeja had a really good couple of games and it's hisperformances that are a huge positive. He went with so much clarity, MS had agood partnership with him. It was a game of margins and MS was run-out. 45 minutesof bad cricket puts you out of the tournament.

"Difficult to take it - but New Zealand deserve it. Ourshot selection could have been better, but we played a good standard of cricketthroughout. New Zealand were braver in crunch situations and they deserveit," Kohli said.