New Zealand have been a thorn in India Cricket Team’s ICC trophy aspirations. In 2019, India lost to Kiwis in the semifinals despite a great run in the league stage. Then, India lost the 2021 WTC Final. Here, in India, India vs New Zealand (IND vs NZ) is set for another round in the Cricket World Cup. With India unbeaten so far in the tournament, going on a 9-0 winning streak, Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson wary of the threat Rohit Sharma & Co pose. But at the same time, he is confident that the BlackCaps can upset India at home once again.
Ahead of the big IND vs NZ semifinal, Kane Williamson heaped praise on Rohit Sharma & Co for their ruthless approach. Here is an excerpt from the official press conference before the Cricket World Cup semifinals. Excerpts…
On India Challenge:
Kane Williamson: Great question. We know it’s going to be a really tough challenge. They’re a side that’s been playing extremely well, but we also know come finals time, everything sort of starts again and it’s all about the day. So, for us as a team, it’s very much the focus on our cricket again. We’ve played some good cricket throughout. We’ve had a couple of narrow losses and a few wins along the way which have put us in this position we’re in. So, we’re excited about the challenge ahead.
On Suryakumar Yadav
Kane Williamson: Yeah, an exceptional player and a great strokemaker. Yeah, clearly coming in to play a role in that sort of middle, lower order for India and has all the shots and knows the venue well so – a good player and they’ve got good players throughout so yeah for us the focus is on our cricket.
Team combination
We have to have a look at the surface. Obviously with a squad of 15 and everybody’s fit which is a nice change and yeah look at the pitch and assess from there.
New Zealand underdogs?
Kane Williamson: Yeah, I think every game in this tournament is a tricky one. I think as we’ve seen throughout, any team can beat anybody on the day, and whether that’s obviously the quality in both sides, but also the changing conditions and how that has an impact. So yeah, I mean, for us, it’s great to have got to the final stages and then take a fresh approach because it does start again.
Yeah, I mean the underdog thing – from what you guys write I don’t think it has changed too much, but that’s fine you know and India have been exceptional. One of the, if not the best team going around and playing cricket that matches that, but we know as well on our day when we play our best cricket, it certainly gives us the best chance and come finals time anything can happen.
Injury Struggles
Yeah, yeah, an interesting journey for sure, from sort of it not being a chance to getting close and it becoming a reality and something to target and certainly feeling really grateful to be here and then to get back and then break my thumb. It’s not funny. No, it was quite frustrating and testing but still feeling that it hadn’t ruled me out so I still was grateful for that and it’s nice to be fitter than perhaps I was yesterday and be sitting here.
So personally, it’s great to be here and it’s nice to be a part of this tournament. These tournaments are special and world events in India certainly add to that.
India’s lack of sixth bowling option
Kane Williamson: Yeah I mean look every team has a slightly different balance that they rely on and naturally with the injury to Hardik. It meant that their balance changed a little bit. But certainly, it didn’t change the outcome of what they were doing. So they adjusted nicely and you know our team tends to or has done in the past anyway, played with a slightly different balance.
I think when you get into tournaments as well it’s guys being nice and familiar with the roles that they have, whether that’s with the ball or with the bat and it all goes quite quickly so you’re trying to make sure you build on those performances as a team. And I’ve done it better than anybody so far in this competition. And as a side, I think we’ve done some good stuff too. So yeah, I mean, we’re just looking forward to tomorrow, and it’s going to be a great occasion.
Mother of All battles?
Kane Williamson: Yeah, I mean that was a great game as well when we played India in pool play. I think when you get to finals, things sort of start again. It’s on the day and I think prior to that, you’re really focusing on two, or whatever it is, six weeks perhaps of good cricket to hold you in good stead at the back end of round-robin play. Because it’s very difficult I think for nine games to kind of micromanage that process.
It’s about how you want to express yourself as a team day in day out and assess the conditions in front of you and the different opposition that you keep facing. So yeah, for us it’s looking to do something similar and it’s going into this game with fresh eyes and looking to play what’s in front of us and the conditions will be different again and like I say that’s a big part of the challenge not only the opposition but the change in venue as well.
On Rachin Ravindra
Yeah, quite incredible really, burst onto the scene and in a big way in a role that perhaps wasn’t sort of natural maybe within our environment, he did a bit of it domestically, but to do what he’s done so far in this tournament with his feet firmly on the ground has been really, really special, and as we’ve all seen, he’s an incredibly special and talented player and a fantastic individual in the environment.
It’s not just the volume of runs that he’s achieved so far but how he’s been scoring them and how it’s been geared towards trying to move the team forward. Some fantastic contributions so far and at such a young age and I’m sure we’ll see plenty more of it to come.
On India’s crowd support
Kane Williamson: Yeah, I mean, we’re expecting a fairly blue crowd that will be supporting their team and No doubt they’ll be very passionate about that. But at the same time, I think as a player, when you get the opportunity to play in front of those sorts of crowds as well, it is special.
We remember over the years, a number of different crowds that we’ve had that haven’t always been your own fans, in fact often they’re not, we have got a small country that doesn’t always fill out the stadiums but you still appreciate the atmosphere that it brings and I’m sure that there’ll be a good one tomorrow and yeah guys have all different levels of experience with those things but to me it’s about embracing it.
Not many people get that opportunity, cricket in India, playing against India in a World Cup semi-final is special and something to appreciate and look forward to.
