Rain forces NZ-India semi-final into reserve day

The World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand will head into a second day after rain prevented the match finishing as scheduled at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

New Zealand struggled to 5-211 off 46.1 overs before persistent rain worsened sufficiently for the umpires to halt play with 23 balls left in their innings.

The match will resume at 7.30pm AEST on Wednesday - weather permitting - with the Black Caps to pick up where they left off and bat out the remainder of their 50 overs before India start their run chase.

For the match to be completed, India must face at least 20 overs, which is no sure thing with plenty more rain forecast for Manchester on Wednesday.

If a result cannot be achieved on Wednesday, India will qualify for Sunday's final at Lord's by virtue of having finished first to New Zealand's fourth in the 10-team group stage.

When rain stopped play, Ross Taylor was 67 not out and Tom Latham three not out after New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who won the toss, had made a painstaking 67.

The Black Caps, whose group match with India was washed out, found runs hard to come by, with paceman Jasprit Bumrah taking 1- 25 runs in eight overs.

Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja enjoyed a miserly return of 1-34 in his maximum 10 overs.

That Williamson, one of the world's best batsmen, faced 95 balls for his runs told of how tough things were for 2015 runners-up New Zealand.

All five previous matches in the tournament at Old Trafford had been won by the side batting first, so Williamson's decision at the toss was understandable.

But New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill with just one run on the board. 

It was an all-too familiar story for the Black Caps, who only qualified for the last four on net run-rate and came into this match on the back of three group-stage defeats by Pakistan, Australia and England.

Bhunvneshwar Kumar appealed for lbw against Guptill off the first ball of the match but failed with his review of a not out decision.

India, however, did not have long to wait.

The leading run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup, Guptill fell for just one -- his fifth single figure score of this tournament -- when he fended at a rising Bumrah delivery and was well caught by India captain Virat Kohli at second slip.

Henry Nicholls and Williamson shared a slow-going second-wicket stand worth 68 that ended when Jadeja bowled left-handed opener Nicholls between bat and pad for 28.

New Zealand had gone more than 13 overs without a boundary by the time Williamson swept leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for four.

Williamson had revived New Zealand after a top-order collapse with a match-winning hundred against the West Indies in their only previous fixture at Old Trafford.

But there was no repeat on Tuesday, the skipper slicing a drive off Chahal to Jadeja at backward point to leave his side 134-3.

Allrounders Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme both fell cheaply before Taylor swept Chahal for six to complete a 73-ball fifty featuring just two fours.  

India or New Zealand will face the winners of Thursday's second semi-final at Edgbaston between hosts England and reigning champions Australia.

New Zealand XI: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitch Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

India XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.