Past 10 years they won nothing though. This one would be the first. Only winners are remembered.
Let's see what kphli can do. And rohit.
Is he going to be a chokli and nohit or a rohit and kohli. Ball is in their courts.
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ICC World Cup 2023: India v New Zealand | 1st Semi Final | Mumbai | 15 November | India Innings
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Let's see what kphli can do. And rohit.
Is he going to be a chokli and nohit or a rohit and kohli. Ball is in their courts.
globetrotter
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India won 4 tournaments including recent Asia Cup
What odi or t20 tournament though?
bluevision
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My only concern is the first powerplay under the lights if India ends up chasing a 300ish score. Can't afford to lose >2 in the pp.
Honestly, I think Latham is a more creative captain than Williamson although both are good.
Of course the entire nation of Pakistan will be in spiritual support of our New Zealand friends. Australia, Indian, and English cricket united to kill the gentleman’s game and us poor cricket boards stand united in opposition to these bullies.
Inshallah, our New Zealand brothers at this very moment are in the film room planning to expose Nohit and Chokli’s weakness against the swinging ball as they have done so many times before. Now we must just hope that New Zealand wins the toss and choose to bowl second. When the ball is swinging under the bright lights of Mumbai, India’s entire top order’s feet will be stuck in quicksand as they reach for the ball swinging away outside off. But the ball will no longer be there - it will be in the hands of second slip. It will be under the bright Mumbai lights that India will have to contend with a decade of being unable to win an ICC tournament despite everything stacked in their favor.
Nha u dont like sena nations lol. Double knock out would be ideal.
But if Pakistan csnt win then I would rather see an Asian team win.
Visaal-E-Yaar
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Any team set a target of 320-325 will win eventually until someone came up with maxwell like innings. Indian bowling is superior than kiwi's but i believe indian middle order is vulnerable.
Key players
Jadeja ( he can take away game in 1 over with his bowling)
Kohli ( in chase he is goat)
Shami ( match against NL he didn't get any assistance from pitch he goes for 41 with 0 wickets in his 6 overs, if NZ bat first, shami can go for plenty of runs)
Rachin ( he is the top player for NZ in this WC, kiwi's really wanted to perform him, once he gets set he always go for 100, if bumrah or siraj get him early, NZ will crumble and might end up on below par total)
Kane ( he can stabilize the innings if wicket falls in first two overs, he can accelerate in middle innings, jadeja can get him early)
Boult ( he need to show his class in big games if he get early movement, he can trouble and vanish indian top order very quickly).
Just don't want one sided game.
globetrotter
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Off course ODI
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New Zealand Captain Kane Williamson during the pre-match press conference ahead of Semi-final against India:
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
What's your take on Surya Kumar Yadav, his recent form whenever he has played for Mumbai Indians and at Wankhede. So, what's your take on Suryakumar Yadav?
[Kane Williamson:]
Yeah, an exceptional player and a great stroke maker. 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.
[Reporter:]
The Wankhede wicket has always got a bit of pace and bounce in it. You've got a two-meter Kyle Jameison waiting in the wings. He must be in the mix as far as team selection is concerned for tomorrow?
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
Historically New Zealanders were always considered underdog especially in the big games but that seems to have changed over the last few years and this game against India is being considered a bit tricky for Indians.
[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.
[Reporter:]
Several months and several injuries ago it seemed like you're not going to play in this World Cup and here you are leading the team into yet another semi-final, fifth consecutive one. Personally, how this has been for you, near your fourth consecutive ICC World event final as well.
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
As an opposition captain how do you look at the lack of six bowler in the bowling attack especially on a high-scoring venue like this?
[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 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 and 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.
[Reporter:]
Do you see it as a mother of all battles, especially from Dharamshala to here? What are the things you have learned?
[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.
[Reporter:]
And as a batsman yourself could you just say something about Rachin Ravindra's form at this tournament and what that's been like to witness from close quarters.
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
Your former teammate Ross Taylor said yesterday that it's impossible to not think of what happened four years earlier at the same stage in the World Cup, in the semi-final against India. So, do you think that you can repeat that tomorrow, something similar can happen?
[Kane Williamson:]
Yeah, I mean I think the game will be a little bit different. It might be played over one day rather than two, looking at the weather, but at the same time teams work hard to get to this stage, they have to play a lot of good cricket within the format or the structure of the tournament to get here over such a long period of time. It's a great occasion and it's on the day. Both teams are looking to play their best cricket and compete in the best way that they can.
[Reporter:]
There has been a lot of talk about the future of one day cricket and the kind of reactions that one day cricket is getting now that T20 is here to stay and of course WTC also has given context and life fresh life to Test cricket. So, what are your thoughts and other players thoughts on looking at the response that this tournament has got, what is the future of one day cricket?
[Kane Williamson:]
Yeah, has it been a good response or a bad one?
I'm not exactly aware, but I know that playing in the tournament and being involved in world events are always special from a player's perspective and continuing to provide that context in the sport, whatever the format, I think is really important. It is hard to predict the future, but I think we see that when we do have world events, countries against countries, regardless of the format, there is something quite special about that. Yeah, there will be a balance to strike with the T20 format, which naturally is becoming, I guess, more and more in the calendar. But that's a good thing too, it sort of speaks to what people want to watch and I think ultimately, it's a positive thing for our game but it's just trying to continue to find that balance
[Reporter:]
The official capacity of the stadium is 33,108. There's going to be 33 of them in blue and screaming loudly tomorrow. 33,000.
[Kane Williamson:]
There'll be more than that.
[Reporter:]
33,000, I mean. I've never seen you flustered. I know you're cool, calm, collected wherever you go, but how do you ensure your team holds their nerves on the biggest occasion?
[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.
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
What's your take on Surya Kumar Yadav, his recent form whenever he has played for Mumbai Indians and at Wankhede. So, what's your take on Suryakumar Yadav?
[Kane Williamson:]
Yeah, an exceptional player and a great stroke maker. 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.
[Reporter:]
The Wankhede wicket has always got a bit of pace and bounce in it. You've got a two-meter Kyle Jameison waiting in the wings. He must be in the mix as far as team selection is concerned for tomorrow?
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
Historically New Zealanders were always considered underdog especially in the big games but that seems to have changed over the last few years and this game against India is being considered a bit tricky for Indians.
[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.
[Reporter:]
Several months and several injuries ago it seemed like you're not going to play in this World Cup and here you are leading the team into yet another semi-final, fifth consecutive one. Personally, how this has been for you, near your fourth consecutive ICC World event final as well.
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
As an opposition captain how do you look at the lack of six bowler in the bowling attack especially on a high-scoring venue like this?
[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 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 and 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.
[Reporter:]
Do you see it as a mother of all battles, especially from Dharamshala to here? What are the things you have learned?
[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.
[Reporter:]
And as a batsman yourself could you just say something about Rachin Ravindra's form at this tournament and what that's been like to witness from close quarters.
[Kane Williamson:]
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.
[Reporter:]
Your former teammate Ross Taylor said yesterday that it's impossible to not think of what happened four years earlier at the same stage in the World Cup, in the semi-final against India. So, do you think that you can repeat that tomorrow, something similar can happen?
[Kane Williamson:]
Yeah, I mean I think the game will be a little bit different. It might be played over one day rather than two, looking at the weather, but at the same time teams work hard to get to this stage, they have to play a lot of good cricket within the format or the structure of the tournament to get here over such a long period of time. It's a great occasion and it's on the day. Both teams are looking to play their best cricket and compete in the best way that they can.
[Reporter:]
There has been a lot of talk about the future of one day cricket and the kind of reactions that one day cricket is getting now that T20 is here to stay and of course WTC also has given context and life fresh life to Test cricket. So, what are your thoughts and other players thoughts on looking at the response that this tournament has got, what is the future of one day cricket?
[Kane Williamson:]
Yeah, has it been a good response or a bad one?
I'm not exactly aware, but I know that playing in the tournament and being involved in world events are always special from a player's perspective and continuing to provide that context in the sport, whatever the format, I think is really important. It is hard to predict the future, but I think we see that when we do have world events, countries against countries, regardless of the format, there is something quite special about that. Yeah, there will be a balance to strike with the T20 format, which naturally is becoming, I guess, more and more in the calendar. But that's a good thing too, it sort of speaks to what people want to watch and I think ultimately, it's a positive thing for our game but it's just trying to continue to find that balance
[Reporter:]
The official capacity of the stadium is 33,108. There's going to be 33 of them in blue and screaming loudly tomorrow. 33,000.
[Kane Williamson:]
There'll be more than that.
[Reporter:]
33,000, I mean. I've never seen you flustered. I know you're cool, calm, collected wherever you go, but how do you ensure your team holds their nerves on the biggest occasion?
[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.
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Cover Drive Six
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There is no concept of the 'weakest' once any team enters the semifinal. Knockout games are altogether different; strong teams in league matches can bottle in the semifinals. New Zealand has consistently performed well in semifinals, thrashed many good teams including India. Pressure and luck are key factors on that day.
Cover Drive Six
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New Zealand is the biggest obstacle for us. I think we can beat Australia or South Africa in the final if we can beat New Zealand in the semifinal.
Bhaag Viru Bhaag
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Should be an easy win for India. 
FearlessRoar
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Should be an easy win for India.
It will be an epic contest. Trent Boult and Tim Southee vs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
PakFan2010
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New Zealand should bowl first.
Chasing in Mumbai is easy after 10 overs of defensive batting.
Chasing in Mumbai is easy after 10 overs of defensive batting.
IndianMafia
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All the best to those who are saying India would be struggling batting 2nd. Let me remind you this is the home ground for Rohit sharma and sky. And other batsman have played here so many times in ipl that too in the lights.
FearlessRoar
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Kane and Rachin are putting in the hard yards ahead of the semi-finals.
Exactly. I dont understand why everyone is like bat 1st and win the match. Since the Final of 2011 WC there have been 6 matches including the final at Wankhede untill the eve of this WC and only 1 team has won batting 1st. Once the initial overs are played off then batting is pretty easy on this pitch.
FearlessRoar
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This man, Kane Williamson, is practicing with a broken thumb. His dedication to winning the World Cup for New Zealand earns even more respect from me.
Ab Fan
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Should be an easy win for India.
Must be an ATG side if we are already assuming that it should be an easy win.
FearlessRoar
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It must not be a one-sided game.
adi_62941
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India is not going to lose. Whether NZ bats first or second, India will thrash them. The Indian team is in the best form of their lives, and this is the strongest playing XI India has ever fielded in international cricket throughout its history.
Maliq_Mudasir
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India will maul Aussies in finals. Aussies are 'Buzdil' in indian conditions.
SF is bigger task for India than Final.
globetrotter
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Tomorrow world no.1 batsman Shubhman Gill, Shreya’s Iyer and sky will be top scorers and in bowling Shami and Bumrah will deliver devastating spell
Unbiased-Fan
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India played well, they are clear favorites.
India have to win this for 1.5 billion people.
They have to win this for surviving ODI format.
They have to win this anyhow..
Anything less than world cup glory will be a big big failure for team India.
India have to win this for 1.5 billion people.
They have to win this for surviving ODI format.
They have to win this anyhow..
Anything less than world cup glory will be a big big failure for team India.
Huge loss for India. However, it can solve the selection headache for Rohit and Dravid.
I know Shreyas is playing well now, but I would still pick Pandya over Iyer in the Playing XI if Pandya is fit.
They are in the best form of their lives. No question about it. However, this is not the strongest team that India ever fielded.
India is the opposite of what England is when it comes to Form of the players.
14 November - Mumbai - India Captain Rohit Sharma pre-match press conference
[Reporter:]
When a big match like this happens, everyone is well prepared, the players are in good form. So, in the end, absorbing the pressure and playing openly, is it all dependent on that?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yes. Look, from the first game to the last game, the last game we played in Bangalore, be it a league match, semi-final or final, whenever you play a World Cup game, there is always pressure. This is obvious because the World Cup is a World Cup, that's why there is pressure. But we have handled that pressure very well in the last 9 games. From the first game to the last game we played in Bangalore, the boys gave a good response. We were only focused on our game. We wanted to play good cricket. What we did.
In the future also, we will focus on playing good cricket. Because in India, if you are an Indian cricketer, then whatever the format, whatever the tournament, there is always pressure. Because you hear the same voice from everywhere that we have to win the match tomorrow. We have to score 100 runs. We have to take 5 wickets. So, all these guys, whether they have played 200-250 matches or 5 or 10 matches, they have to go through all this. So, I think in terms of pressure, it becomes mandatory for Indian cricketers. There is pressure, but we have tried so hard in all these years to keep that aside and focus more on our game, strategy, and the way we play.
Because what happens from outside will always continue and will not stop. We need to focus on the game and focus on the challenges that will come from the opposition.
[Reporter:]
Everyone was saying that we have only five bowling options, if someone gets injured, we’ll be in a [inaudible] – you changed all that and made it 9 bowling options.
[Rohit Sharma:]
We wanted to change our combination when Hardik got injured. Before that, from the first game we tried to get the rest of the players to bowl. It was important to get the situation right. In the last game, we got the situation where we could try some things. So, it's good. I mean, there are options, but I hope we don't need them.
[Reporter:]
We as media, we talk about history, what happened in the last match before that. Do you guys think about history when you get into the field or while preparing? Do you think of what happened in the last World Cup, what happened in the World Test Championship Final, or you just completely set aside and focus on this match? How does your preparation go?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Honestly, I mean look, that's the beauty of this team. Half of the guys were not even born when we won our first World Cup. And then when we won our second World Cup in 2011, half of the guys were not even playing the game.
I mean, for us, this current crop of players, they're very much into what is happening today, what can happen tomorrow. Those are the things they try and focus on. I don't see them talking about how we won the last World Cup, how we won our first World Cup. The focus is on how they can get better as a player, what they can bring to the team and what are the things they need to improve. So that's the beauty of the crop of players we have at this point in time. The focus is always on the present. And that, I believe, is a very, very good thing. Going into a tournament like this, from game number one, the focus has always been on what we can achieve today. What you achieve today sets you up for what you can achieve tomorrow. So, I think the crop of players that we have is very much focused on that process.
[Reporter:]
How about you or Virat, the experienced crop? I mean, people who have played this four years ago, played them, in between played them. What about you guys?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, I think it's very, you know, obviously in the back of your mind, you know what has happened in the past. But what has happened in the past is the past. What you can do today, what you can do tomorrow is what, you know, we usually talk about. So, I don't think there's much debate or much talk about what happened ten years ago or five years ago or the last World Cup as well.
[Reporter:]
We are seeing from the Asia Cup to now even during the World Cup – we are seeing a healthy team environment, the way the best fielder is awarded the prize and all the activities that are happening that we might not have seen before. So, what would you say about the new environment that has been created in your leadership?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, see, our conscious effort has been on this that the team's environment does not change based on the results. We have to create the environment that is needed for the team and that is mandatory. And this cannot be done by one or two boys. It is important for all the boys to come together, including the support staff. So, like we were in Dharamshala, we had a five- or six-day break there. We stayed in Dharamshala for two days. We did a lot of team activity there. We did a fashion show there, but no one knows about that. It's a good thing that no one knows about it.
So, all this effort, the environment of the team that we always talk about, this is the environment where we like to be very relaxed. And all the boys like this a lot. Because you know when you come on the ground, there will be pressure, pressure of performance, pressure of winning the match. That can't be changed. Because once you reach the ground, it is then up to the individuals how they want to take it forward. But before that, we have done everything we can to make the team's environment easy. The team's atmosphere is very good. It is very relaxed. So, this is a good thing.
[Reporter:]
Where did you start?
[Rohit Sharma:]
We started in Australia in the last World Cup, we started there the same way. We reached Australia 10 or 15 days ago. And we had set up a small camp in Perth for 7 or 8 days. And There is an island near Perth, we went there. We went away from cricket. Wherever we get a chance, we try to do activities like that. To keep the team's environment light. It's not like it's only happening in the last two years. It used to happen before as well. But now, I don't know. I don't know if it's more visible now.
[Reporter:]
It's not an easy job to be the Indian captain. A lot of things go on in your head. Right now, when you reflect back, look back as an individual, little boy playing at this ground, now you will be leading the side out in the semi-final. So, do you get time to reflect on your individual journey as well, how special it is going to be and how close you are getting to that unfinished business you spoke about in Chennai?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I don't think there's so much time to think about it. The focus is on the game, what we have in hand tomorrow. I seriously have no time to think about my journey, what it has been in the past. Probably after 19 November I will think about it. Right now, it is just business and pure business of getting the job done for the team.
Obviously, it is such a high-profile tournament everybody is watching. You want to display good cricket as Indian team, and that is what we've done in this tournament so far, which is very, very good. But again, we know the importance of this week. For us, we don't really have to change too much, being that same mindset as we were before the start of the World Cup.
[Reporter:]
I remember at the start of the World Cup when you were asked about the unfinished business, you said you don't want to be desperate and finding a balance and you also need a little bit of luck through the tournament. You are here to win, two games away from winning the World Cup as a captain. How does you reflect on that part of it?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Getting through to the qualifying stage, then the semis and then the finals, there are processes that you have to do. Because in the league games, you have nine games that you have to play well to qualify. So, our first focus, obviously, was to qualify from the league stages through to semifinals. And nine games. Nine games is a lot of games. Literally, two or three bilateral series to be honest. You have to break it down into games, different venues, you have to break it down into different strategies as well, different opposition you play.
So yeah, for us it was all about how we can break it down into parts and then take it forward. And when you're playing nine games, nine different opposition, nine different venues, you got to adapt to different strategies, policies, ideas, methods of getting the job done for the team. I think we did that really well.
The first of the tournament, if you see, I think we chased the first five games and then the next four games we batted first. So, I think in terms of the areas that we wanted to cover, I think we've covered almost every bit of it. But again, like I said, we do understand the importance of this week, but for us I don't think we need to do anything different from what we've been doing in this tournament.
There will be challenges thrown at you at different stages of the game. You just got to respond. You just got to front up and get through that situation.
[Reporter:]
New Zealand probably gave you one of your toughest games in the group phase. What have you been impressed by, by their play?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, look, I mean, overall, whenever we've come up against New Zealand, obviously, probably the most disciplined team in terms of how they want to play the game. And they play their cricket very smartly. They understand the opposition quite well. Obviously having played with a lot of our players in different stages of their careers, different tournaments, they do understand the mentality of the opposition. It is the same for us as well.
But, whenever we've played against them, the most disciplined team, I would say. And they've been very consistent for so many years now, playing semifinals and the finals of probably all ICC tournaments in the last, I don't know, maybe six, seven years, from 2015 onwards, if I'm not wrong.
So yeah, and we do understand what they bring to the table and how they play their cricket. We have been closely following all the teams as to where their strength lies, where their weakness lies. And based on that, we try and go out there and play the game.
[Reporter:]
Do you think the ODI World Cup is still as important as the other World Cups, T20 or the World Test Championship. How has it gone, this tournament? Like rough, smooth? There are things that you think as a captain that need to be looked into.
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, I mean, look, for me, the 50-over World Cup is the top of the table. I have said it at the start of it. I am not somebody who is going to say this format is better than that format because for me all three formats are equally important because you are playing for your country in all these formats and it's a very rare privilege that anyone can have of playing for your country. So, I don't believe in prioritizing X, Y, Z. I think all three formats to me is equally important and in the tournaments as in this tournament as well you've seen it like it's been a fantastic tournament without a doubt - a lot of teams have come through a lot of teams have challenged opposition and that clearly shows that ranking doesn't matter. To be honest, anyone can beat anyone on that particular day. If you don't show up well, if you don't play to your potential, teams will beat you. So, you've got to be ready for it and we saw it in this tournament that every team is capable and at the end of the day you are talking about the World Cup. Every team will come fighting hard to get that victory. So, I think it has been a fantastic tournament.
[Reporter:]
How much important toss will be? Because in this venue, the first innings score is 350+, and the second innings score is less than half. And excepting Max's miraculous innings, all of the team who batted first won. So how much important the toss is?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Look, I mean, honestly, I've played a lot of cricket here. This four or five games is not going to tell a lot about what Wankhede is. I don't want to talk too much about what Wankhede is. But I certainly believe that toss is not the factor.
[Reporter:]
You said you don't want to think too much about what happened in the previous semi-finals, but did you learn anything in those games last year against England, last time against New Zealand, or before that, that you might want to implement as captain tomorrow?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, no, obviously, when you don't come through, obviously there's a lot of learnings, what went wrong, what as a team we could have done better, and things like that. But obviously now, it's a completely different setup, different set of players as well from what it was in 2019. So obviously we have taken our learnings from the previous World Cups, but again like I said there were different individuals in that game, different individuals now. So, I think things are moving pretty well at this point in time. And we would just like to continue in that fashion. Again, like I said before as well, what has happened in the past is not going to determine too much about what will happen tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
Whenever there is a big match, like a knockout match, as a captain, do you also have a sleepless night, like what will happen tomorrow, how will I play. Does this go on in your mind all night?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, it goes on. That's why I don't live alone. I have a family with me. So, my mind goes here and there, which is a very good thing. When I go to my hotel room, we completely stay away from cricket. We discuss a lot of other things. So, it's a good thing. You think a lot about cricket, yes, but when you have time, when you have a chance to not think, then you shouldn't think. Because, even if you think all day, what will happen? So, it is important to think about something else.
[Reporter:]
You have been part of many Indian teams where you have played with many of the greats. From your point of view, is this the most dominant Indian team that you have been part of in terms of balance, form, and performance?
[Rohit Sharma:]
See, I was not part of the 2011 World Cup, which we won. I was part of 2015 and 2019. I thought, I mean, very hard to say which team was better and which team wasn't. I mean, eventually it's the Indian team. So, I'm not going to say that 2019 was better than 23 or 2015. I think what you can see from this team, all I can say is the roles are pretty clear for each and every one of them and they exactly know what to go out there and do. And it makes it a little easier for the players as well to understand what is expected out of them and what role they need to perform. I am not saying the role clarity was not there in 2019 because I was not part of the main discussions of when you assign a role, mainly the captain and coach decides what he wants from X, Y, Z players. So, I was not part of that. Obviously, I am now, which I think, it's pretty clear as to what we want, you know, each individual to go out there and do for us.
So, I think in terms of rating the teams, I mean it's very... I don't think it will be the right thing for me to do that or say this is a dominant team. I think all teams I was part of, I think they were quite dominant. That is what I would say. But yeah, you got to be. Now, the time has come that you need a little bit of luck as well to go your way. Obviously, we're going to be brave enough. And hopefully, fortune favours the brave.
[Reporter:]
I want to ask you about Kuldeep Yadav and the Dharamshala game against New Zealand, where they put him under pressure but he came back really strongly through the second half of his spell.
That performance and what Kuldeep was in 2019 and now - as a captain, his resilience and how much he has come on as a player, could you talk about that a bit?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah. Kuldeep obviously missed out on a few games in between, but since he's made a comeback, you see a different sort of Kuldeep in terms of his attitude, wants to front the situation, front the challenge, take the responsibility upon him. All those kind of things I can clearly see with him. He is not afraid to get hit because, like you mentioned, that particular game was a perfect example where the batters were trying to put him under pressure. But he eventually got those couple of wickets for us.
With him, it doesn't matter that he goes for runs, but his job, he knows that he has to go out there and get the team into good situations, try for breakthroughs, if there's a partnership. And yeah, he's not afraid of getting hit. And that's the beauty of spin bowling.
If you are afraid, things do not fall in place in terms of the strategy of the team as well. You don't mind getting hit in a few overs, but the will to come back and finish off really strong is what matters. And that is what he did in Dharamshala. They were in good position at one point and they probably ended up getting 270-280 between that. So that was a good comeback in the last 10 overs.
I mean like we always say, the game is not over till the last ball is bowled. So even though you get hit for a few boundaries, few sixes here and there, in few overs, there are 10 overs, 60 balls that you have to bowl and you have to come back. And that is the attitude that Kuldeep has, even if he is put under pressure at the beginning, he knows he has to come back and he will come back.
[Reporter:]
Firstly, what is the mantra or like a principle that you swear by as a leader in your dressing room, being one of the senior players in the dressing room, and something that you particularly do for sure as a leader.
Second, if you look back at the campaign so far, what's the one moment possibly on the sidelines, something off the field that probably brings the widest smile on your face?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I don't have a mantra as such. I just believe that as a captain, if you have decided that this is how you want to play as a team, then there needs to be a clarity amongst the team. And then if a certain player wants to go out there and play in the way that you want him to play, then you've got to back that player to the hilt. And that is what we've done. We've backed certain players because we've given them a different role. And if they perform the role, well and good, but even if they don't, which will not come off in every game, we have got to back that player and tell him that we stand by you. That is something that I believe in and I want to do it as much as I can from my side and also got to give credit to Rahul as well you know to buy into that thought of not you know changing too much when the player doesn't come off with that plans.
So yeah, that is something that we have stuck by right from the beginning. And we will continue to do that even in the future as well. But yeah, that is something that I feel is quite important. And giving freedom to each player to go out there and perform their role. That is also again another important aspect of the game and how you want to play as a team. So, these are the two things, role clarity and giving the guys that freedom and going there and expressing themselves.
One moment I would say probably was the last game where all four of us bowled. The crowd enjoyed pretty much. And I'm pretty sure the fans across the world who would have watched us bowl would have loved that as well.
[Reporter:]
When a big match like this happens, everyone is well prepared, the players are in good form. So, in the end, absorbing the pressure and playing openly, is it all dependent on that?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yes. Look, from the first game to the last game, the last game we played in Bangalore, be it a league match, semi-final or final, whenever you play a World Cup game, there is always pressure. This is obvious because the World Cup is a World Cup, that's why there is pressure. But we have handled that pressure very well in the last 9 games. From the first game to the last game we played in Bangalore, the boys gave a good response. We were only focused on our game. We wanted to play good cricket. What we did.
In the future also, we will focus on playing good cricket. Because in India, if you are an Indian cricketer, then whatever the format, whatever the tournament, there is always pressure. Because you hear the same voice from everywhere that we have to win the match tomorrow. We have to score 100 runs. We have to take 5 wickets. So, all these guys, whether they have played 200-250 matches or 5 or 10 matches, they have to go through all this. So, I think in terms of pressure, it becomes mandatory for Indian cricketers. There is pressure, but we have tried so hard in all these years to keep that aside and focus more on our game, strategy, and the way we play.
Because what happens from outside will always continue and will not stop. We need to focus on the game and focus on the challenges that will come from the opposition.
[Reporter:]
Everyone was saying that we have only five bowling options, if someone gets injured, we’ll be in a [inaudible] – you changed all that and made it 9 bowling options.
[Rohit Sharma:]
We wanted to change our combination when Hardik got injured. Before that, from the first game we tried to get the rest of the players to bowl. It was important to get the situation right. In the last game, we got the situation where we could try some things. So, it's good. I mean, there are options, but I hope we don't need them.
[Reporter:]
We as media, we talk about history, what happened in the last match before that. Do you guys think about history when you get into the field or while preparing? Do you think of what happened in the last World Cup, what happened in the World Test Championship Final, or you just completely set aside and focus on this match? How does your preparation go?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Honestly, I mean look, that's the beauty of this team. Half of the guys were not even born when we won our first World Cup. And then when we won our second World Cup in 2011, half of the guys were not even playing the game.
I mean, for us, this current crop of players, they're very much into what is happening today, what can happen tomorrow. Those are the things they try and focus on. I don't see them talking about how we won the last World Cup, how we won our first World Cup. The focus is on how they can get better as a player, what they can bring to the team and what are the things they need to improve. So that's the beauty of the crop of players we have at this point in time. The focus is always on the present. And that, I believe, is a very, very good thing. Going into a tournament like this, from game number one, the focus has always been on what we can achieve today. What you achieve today sets you up for what you can achieve tomorrow. So, I think the crop of players that we have is very much focused on that process.
[Reporter:]
How about you or Virat, the experienced crop? I mean, people who have played this four years ago, played them, in between played them. What about you guys?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, I think it's very, you know, obviously in the back of your mind, you know what has happened in the past. But what has happened in the past is the past. What you can do today, what you can do tomorrow is what, you know, we usually talk about. So, I don't think there's much debate or much talk about what happened ten years ago or five years ago or the last World Cup as well.
[Reporter:]
We are seeing from the Asia Cup to now even during the World Cup – we are seeing a healthy team environment, the way the best fielder is awarded the prize and all the activities that are happening that we might not have seen before. So, what would you say about the new environment that has been created in your leadership?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, see, our conscious effort has been on this that the team's environment does not change based on the results. We have to create the environment that is needed for the team and that is mandatory. And this cannot be done by one or two boys. It is important for all the boys to come together, including the support staff. So, like we were in Dharamshala, we had a five- or six-day break there. We stayed in Dharamshala for two days. We did a lot of team activity there. We did a fashion show there, but no one knows about that. It's a good thing that no one knows about it.
So, all this effort, the environment of the team that we always talk about, this is the environment where we like to be very relaxed. And all the boys like this a lot. Because you know when you come on the ground, there will be pressure, pressure of performance, pressure of winning the match. That can't be changed. Because once you reach the ground, it is then up to the individuals how they want to take it forward. But before that, we have done everything we can to make the team's environment easy. The team's atmosphere is very good. It is very relaxed. So, this is a good thing.
[Reporter:]
Where did you start?
[Rohit Sharma:]
We started in Australia in the last World Cup, we started there the same way. We reached Australia 10 or 15 days ago. And we had set up a small camp in Perth for 7 or 8 days. And There is an island near Perth, we went there. We went away from cricket. Wherever we get a chance, we try to do activities like that. To keep the team's environment light. It's not like it's only happening in the last two years. It used to happen before as well. But now, I don't know. I don't know if it's more visible now.
[Reporter:]
It's not an easy job to be the Indian captain. A lot of things go on in your head. Right now, when you reflect back, look back as an individual, little boy playing at this ground, now you will be leading the side out in the semi-final. So, do you get time to reflect on your individual journey as well, how special it is going to be and how close you are getting to that unfinished business you spoke about in Chennai?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I don't think there's so much time to think about it. The focus is on the game, what we have in hand tomorrow. I seriously have no time to think about my journey, what it has been in the past. Probably after 19 November I will think about it. Right now, it is just business and pure business of getting the job done for the team.
Obviously, it is such a high-profile tournament everybody is watching. You want to display good cricket as Indian team, and that is what we've done in this tournament so far, which is very, very good. But again, we know the importance of this week. For us, we don't really have to change too much, being that same mindset as we were before the start of the World Cup.
[Reporter:]
I remember at the start of the World Cup when you were asked about the unfinished business, you said you don't want to be desperate and finding a balance and you also need a little bit of luck through the tournament. You are here to win, two games away from winning the World Cup as a captain. How does you reflect on that part of it?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Getting through to the qualifying stage, then the semis and then the finals, there are processes that you have to do. Because in the league games, you have nine games that you have to play well to qualify. So, our first focus, obviously, was to qualify from the league stages through to semifinals. And nine games. Nine games is a lot of games. Literally, two or three bilateral series to be honest. You have to break it down into games, different venues, you have to break it down into different strategies as well, different opposition you play.
So yeah, for us it was all about how we can break it down into parts and then take it forward. And when you're playing nine games, nine different opposition, nine different venues, you got to adapt to different strategies, policies, ideas, methods of getting the job done for the team. I think we did that really well.
The first of the tournament, if you see, I think we chased the first five games and then the next four games we batted first. So, I think in terms of the areas that we wanted to cover, I think we've covered almost every bit of it. But again, like I said, we do understand the importance of this week, but for us I don't think we need to do anything different from what we've been doing in this tournament.
There will be challenges thrown at you at different stages of the game. You just got to respond. You just got to front up and get through that situation.
[Reporter:]
New Zealand probably gave you one of your toughest games in the group phase. What have you been impressed by, by their play?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, look, I mean, overall, whenever we've come up against New Zealand, obviously, probably the most disciplined team in terms of how they want to play the game. And they play their cricket very smartly. They understand the opposition quite well. Obviously having played with a lot of our players in different stages of their careers, different tournaments, they do understand the mentality of the opposition. It is the same for us as well.
But, whenever we've played against them, the most disciplined team, I would say. And they've been very consistent for so many years now, playing semifinals and the finals of probably all ICC tournaments in the last, I don't know, maybe six, seven years, from 2015 onwards, if I'm not wrong.
So yeah, and we do understand what they bring to the table and how they play their cricket. We have been closely following all the teams as to where their strength lies, where their weakness lies. And based on that, we try and go out there and play the game.
[Reporter:]
Do you think the ODI World Cup is still as important as the other World Cups, T20 or the World Test Championship. How has it gone, this tournament? Like rough, smooth? There are things that you think as a captain that need to be looked into.
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, I mean, look, for me, the 50-over World Cup is the top of the table. I have said it at the start of it. I am not somebody who is going to say this format is better than that format because for me all three formats are equally important because you are playing for your country in all these formats and it's a very rare privilege that anyone can have of playing for your country. So, I don't believe in prioritizing X, Y, Z. I think all three formats to me is equally important and in the tournaments as in this tournament as well you've seen it like it's been a fantastic tournament without a doubt - a lot of teams have come through a lot of teams have challenged opposition and that clearly shows that ranking doesn't matter. To be honest, anyone can beat anyone on that particular day. If you don't show up well, if you don't play to your potential, teams will beat you. So, you've got to be ready for it and we saw it in this tournament that every team is capable and at the end of the day you are talking about the World Cup. Every team will come fighting hard to get that victory. So, I think it has been a fantastic tournament.
[Reporter:]
How much important toss will be? Because in this venue, the first innings score is 350+, and the second innings score is less than half. And excepting Max's miraculous innings, all of the team who batted first won. So how much important the toss is?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Look, I mean, honestly, I've played a lot of cricket here. This four or five games is not going to tell a lot about what Wankhede is. I don't want to talk too much about what Wankhede is. But I certainly believe that toss is not the factor.
[Reporter:]
You said you don't want to think too much about what happened in the previous semi-finals, but did you learn anything in those games last year against England, last time against New Zealand, or before that, that you might want to implement as captain tomorrow?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, no, obviously, when you don't come through, obviously there's a lot of learnings, what went wrong, what as a team we could have done better, and things like that. But obviously now, it's a completely different setup, different set of players as well from what it was in 2019. So obviously we have taken our learnings from the previous World Cups, but again like I said there were different individuals in that game, different individuals now. So, I think things are moving pretty well at this point in time. And we would just like to continue in that fashion. Again, like I said before as well, what has happened in the past is not going to determine too much about what will happen tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
Whenever there is a big match, like a knockout match, as a captain, do you also have a sleepless night, like what will happen tomorrow, how will I play. Does this go on in your mind all night?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, it goes on. That's why I don't live alone. I have a family with me. So, my mind goes here and there, which is a very good thing. When I go to my hotel room, we completely stay away from cricket. We discuss a lot of other things. So, it's a good thing. You think a lot about cricket, yes, but when you have time, when you have a chance to not think, then you shouldn't think. Because, even if you think all day, what will happen? So, it is important to think about something else.
[Reporter:]
You have been part of many Indian teams where you have played with many of the greats. From your point of view, is this the most dominant Indian team that you have been part of in terms of balance, form, and performance?
[Rohit Sharma:]
See, I was not part of the 2011 World Cup, which we won. I was part of 2015 and 2019. I thought, I mean, very hard to say which team was better and which team wasn't. I mean, eventually it's the Indian team. So, I'm not going to say that 2019 was better than 23 or 2015. I think what you can see from this team, all I can say is the roles are pretty clear for each and every one of them and they exactly know what to go out there and do. And it makes it a little easier for the players as well to understand what is expected out of them and what role they need to perform. I am not saying the role clarity was not there in 2019 because I was not part of the main discussions of when you assign a role, mainly the captain and coach decides what he wants from X, Y, Z players. So, I was not part of that. Obviously, I am now, which I think, it's pretty clear as to what we want, you know, each individual to go out there and do for us.
So, I think in terms of rating the teams, I mean it's very... I don't think it will be the right thing for me to do that or say this is a dominant team. I think all teams I was part of, I think they were quite dominant. That is what I would say. But yeah, you got to be. Now, the time has come that you need a little bit of luck as well to go your way. Obviously, we're going to be brave enough. And hopefully, fortune favours the brave.
[Reporter:]
I want to ask you about Kuldeep Yadav and the Dharamshala game against New Zealand, where they put him under pressure but he came back really strongly through the second half of his spell.
That performance and what Kuldeep was in 2019 and now - as a captain, his resilience and how much he has come on as a player, could you talk about that a bit?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah. Kuldeep obviously missed out on a few games in between, but since he's made a comeback, you see a different sort of Kuldeep in terms of his attitude, wants to front the situation, front the challenge, take the responsibility upon him. All those kind of things I can clearly see with him. He is not afraid to get hit because, like you mentioned, that particular game was a perfect example where the batters were trying to put him under pressure. But he eventually got those couple of wickets for us.
With him, it doesn't matter that he goes for runs, but his job, he knows that he has to go out there and get the team into good situations, try for breakthroughs, if there's a partnership. And yeah, he's not afraid of getting hit. And that's the beauty of spin bowling.
If you are afraid, things do not fall in place in terms of the strategy of the team as well. You don't mind getting hit in a few overs, but the will to come back and finish off really strong is what matters. And that is what he did in Dharamshala. They were in good position at one point and they probably ended up getting 270-280 between that. So that was a good comeback in the last 10 overs.
I mean like we always say, the game is not over till the last ball is bowled. So even though you get hit for a few boundaries, few sixes here and there, in few overs, there are 10 overs, 60 balls that you have to bowl and you have to come back. And that is the attitude that Kuldeep has, even if he is put under pressure at the beginning, he knows he has to come back and he will come back.
[Reporter:]
Firstly, what is the mantra or like a principle that you swear by as a leader in your dressing room, being one of the senior players in the dressing room, and something that you particularly do for sure as a leader.
Second, if you look back at the campaign so far, what's the one moment possibly on the sidelines, something off the field that probably brings the widest smile on your face?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I don't have a mantra as such. I just believe that as a captain, if you have decided that this is how you want to play as a team, then there needs to be a clarity amongst the team. And then if a certain player wants to go out there and play in the way that you want him to play, then you've got to back that player to the hilt. And that is what we've done. We've backed certain players because we've given them a different role. And if they perform the role, well and good, but even if they don't, which will not come off in every game, we have got to back that player and tell him that we stand by you. That is something that I believe in and I want to do it as much as I can from my side and also got to give credit to Rahul as well you know to buy into that thought of not you know changing too much when the player doesn't come off with that plans.
So yeah, that is something that we have stuck by right from the beginning. And we will continue to do that even in the future as well. But yeah, that is something that I feel is quite important. And giving freedom to each player to go out there and perform their role. That is also again another important aspect of the game and how you want to play as a team. So, these are the two things, role clarity and giving the guys that freedom and going there and expressing themselves.
One moment I would say probably was the last game where all four of us bowled. The crowd enjoyed pretty much. And I'm pretty sure the fans across the world who would have watched us bowl would have loved that as well.
IndoorCricket
Local Club Star
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If anything I am more impressed with Iyer after his last few innings. He took his time in the innings against SA when Maharaj was turning it square. He and Rahul stabilised the middle order making room for Shami who was a possessed man this tournament
Kianig89
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Big big game for India tomorrow, the way they've have played victory is must, let's see what NZ have in store for them
globetrotter
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Rachin Ravindran is on tremendous form, he hold the key of Kiwi batting…. If we get him early 50% match in India’s pocket
Ab Fan
Senior Test Player
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- Sep 24, 2015
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Shreyas has been our saviour given that we had such hard time figuring out no.4 for a long time.
Shreyas is simply riding on the great starts that India has been getting. He is not under any pressure as our Top 3 have been in great form.
I will give credit to Shreyas for his performance so far, but he is still not a long term prospect for India. He is still not a good player of Short ball and that weakness still remains.
I don't see him as a major threat. The real threats are still Conway and Mitchell. These 2 are match winners for Kiwis. Rachin still has a few years before he can become an absolute beast.
globetrotter
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Conway not in great form….Rachin played amazingly in this WC
FearlessRoar
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Don't underestimate Rachin Ravindra
Ab Fan
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He has survived 4 years now with that weakness. He will end up with a Raina, A Jadeja, Gambhir, Dhawan type career.
If I may ask, why would you want to see your biggest rivals win over other teams?
That's the spirit. I thought the kiwis and Pak fans gave up.Come on New Zealand, we can do this.
Drinks (non alcoholic) on me at the Green Man Pub in Wellington after we beat these Indians.
This ICCBCCI is just bogus. If it were the case, India would have a bunch of cups by now in the last decade. There were massive weaknesses in the earlier teams. This one looks ruthless. Hungry too. If they lose, they lose and the winner deserves the credit. And the winner deserved it in every championship that was played since the dawn of time. It wasn't choking either. We lost T20 world cups because we had Rahane an an opener in one. Yuvraj sucked the life out of another and Rahul/Rohit/Kohli messed the last one. Bumrah was missing too. This time there are no excuses and no weaknesses. Home conditions and the winning streak will keep the flame going.
I had my doubts but I like him now in Indian conditions.
Bumrah and Boult call Mumbai home after home. They played on this ground for years in IPL. They will decide the outcome of the game.
jnaveen1980
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Despite Rachins form I maintain Conway will be the biggest threat. Most versatile player they have. More than Mitchell who atleast gives you a chance or two. India will be wary of that.
Sena are not trust worthy. Bailing on us when we requested them to tour pakiatan etc left a sour taste in my mouth.
Besides If Pakistan can't win, I rather the most deserving team win and ideally I prefer it to be an Asian team.
Indian cricket team and people I got nothing against. Government is and entirely different proposition.
FearlessRoar
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I will say it again, New Zealand should bowl first and get the early wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
If they opt to bat first, Bumrah and Siraj will destroy their batting lineup in the powerplay.
If they opt to bat first, Bumrah and Siraj will destroy their batting lineup in the powerplay.
adi_62941
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They have a settled and attacking openers. Solid middle order and good lower middle order. 3 good fast bowlers and very economical spinners. What else you want from best xi
I think it's the opposite. If I were NZ, I'd want to bat first. Bumrah, Siraj and Shami will destroy this NZ batting line up under lights. Then Boult and Co could have a Crack at Indian batsmen under lights. If they get Rohit and Kohli early then it will be tough for India.
Agree. He had a quiet tournament and if he gets going it will be tough
sweep_shot
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Conway seems to be out of form.
Ravindra and Mitchell are bigger threats. Don't forget Williamson (big match player).
Mp812
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True. He has had quite tournament. But then SkY has had quiet tournament also.so its 50-50
Nikhil_cric
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Good luck to both teams.
NZ certainly match up very well against us in particular .
We are a RHB dominated lineup and their attack prefers bowling to RHB's.
Since 2019 CWC,
NZ attack averages 28 against RHB's and 34 against LHB's.
India are right hander heavy . Even in this World Cup, it was the likes of Warner , Head, Fakhar, QDK, Miller, Perera who really tore into their bowling attack.
Also, Indian batting has scored at 100 SR + against all bowling types except one - SLA spin
And NZ can hit us with 20 overs of SLA in Santner and Ravindra .
Very awkward opposition not because they are better on absolute skills but their relative strengths are well placed to expose our relative weaknesses .
NZ certainly match up very well against us in particular .
We are a RHB dominated lineup and their attack prefers bowling to RHB's.
Since 2019 CWC,
NZ attack averages 28 against RHB's and 34 against LHB's.
India are right hander heavy . Even in this World Cup, it was the likes of Warner , Head, Fakhar, QDK, Miller, Perera who really tore into their bowling attack.
Also, Indian batting has scored at 100 SR + against all bowling types except one - SLA spin
And NZ can hit us with 20 overs of SLA in Santner and Ravindra .
Very awkward opposition not because they are better on absolute skills but their relative strengths are well placed to expose our relative weaknesses .
jnaveen1980
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It is not about lights. It is about fielding in less gruelling conditions. Team that fields second will be fresher. Less taxing weather
Savak
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This WC is for India's taking. They are showing a dominance unmatched since the Australia team from 1999 to 2007.
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Cricket World Cup: Slow pitch expected for Wankhede semifinal, on Team India’s insistence
A slow pitch is expected for India’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand after the team management asked BCCI curators to shave off most of the grass on the Wankhede Stadium playing surface.
The Indian Express understands that the think tank had informed the Wankhede curator about their preference after the game against the Netherlands in Bengaluru.
The BCCI local curators have formed a local organising group to look after pitches across the country during the World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also sent its own experts to various venues for each game.
A Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official confirmed that a message was conveyed to prepare a slow track before the home team reached Mumbai.
“It won’t be a turner but the team had asked for a slow pitch. It was the main reason we shaved off the grass,” a source said.
India has performed well on slow tracks at home over the past few years. Before the World Cup, the team management had requested for their matches to be held on slow pitches.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had a good look at the pitch on Tuesday. Later in the day, the team management spoke to the groundstaff and asked whether they will be spraying the anti-dew chemical post their practice session.
Chasing has been difficult at the Wankhede during the tournament, with only of the four games so far being won by the team batting second, that too due to Glenn Maxwell’s heroics against Afghanistan.
indianexpress.com
A slow pitch is expected for India’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand after the team management asked BCCI curators to shave off most of the grass on the Wankhede Stadium playing surface.
The Indian Express understands that the think tank had informed the Wankhede curator about their preference after the game against the Netherlands in Bengaluru.
The BCCI local curators have formed a local organising group to look after pitches across the country during the World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also sent its own experts to various venues for each game.
A Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official confirmed that a message was conveyed to prepare a slow track before the home team reached Mumbai.
“It won’t be a turner but the team had asked for a slow pitch. It was the main reason we shaved off the grass,” a source said.
India has performed well on slow tracks at home over the past few years. Before the World Cup, the team management had requested for their matches to be held on slow pitches.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had a good look at the pitch on Tuesday. Later in the day, the team management spoke to the groundstaff and asked whether they will be spraying the anti-dew chemical post their practice session.
Chasing has been difficult at the Wankhede during the tournament, with only of the four games so far being won by the team batting second, that too due to Glenn Maxwell’s heroics against Afghanistan.
Cricket World Cup: Slow pitch expected for Wankhede semifinal, on Team India’s insistence
Hosts have performed well on such tracks, which prompted such a preference.
indianexpress.com
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That was expected because if they make it conventional Mumbai track which offers swing and seam with some bounce in it, so New Zealand could have been ripped apart their batting.Cricket World Cup: Slow pitch expected for Wankhede semifinal, on Team India’s insistence
A slow pitch is expected for India’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand after the team management asked BCCI curators to shave off most of the grass on the Wankhede Stadium playing surface.
The Indian Express understands that the think tank had informed the Wankhede curator about their preference after the game against the Netherlands in Bengaluru.
The BCCI local curators have formed a local organising group to look after pitches across the country during the World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also sent its own experts to various venues for each game.
A Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official confirmed that a message was conveyed to prepare a slow track before the home team reached Mumbai.
“It won’t be a turner but the team had asked for a slow pitch. It was the main reason we shaved off the grass,” a source said.
India has performed well on slow tracks at home over the past few years. Before the World Cup, the team management had requested for their matches to be held on slow pitches.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had a good look at the pitch on Tuesday. Later in the day, the team management spoke to the groundstaff and asked whether they will be spraying the anti-dew chemical post their practice session.
Chasing has been difficult at the Wankhede during the tournament, with only of the four games so far being won by the team batting second, that too due to Glenn Maxwell’s heroics against Afghanistan.
Cricket World Cup: Slow pitch expected for Wankhede semifinal, on Team India’s insistence
Hosts have performed well on such tracks, which prompted such a preference.
So they are going with their strength while making it bit slow and turning track!
pakistani pride
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India will smash NZ.
Cover Drive Six
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Not sure why Rohit and Dravid want a slow pitch when Shami, Bumrah, and Siraj are good at swing and seam.
Don't know about SKY but watch out for Shubman. The kind of strokes he played the other day, he could be due for a big one.
Told you the grass would be shaved off. Slow pitch means Shreyas and co can bat against short pitched stuff easily. Indian bowlers bowl great lengths on slow pitches. Also batting will be tougher in the first inning for NZ. If India wins toss they will bat first. If NZ wins toss, they might want to chase with dew. But that's the cue for Indian pace brigade to knock out NZ in the first 20 before dew sets in as it happened in multiple games. Advantage India as it should be. NZ took advantage of a surprising green pitch in the last WC SF. Time for Indian advantage.Cricket World Cup: Slow pitch expected for Wankhede semifinal, on Team India’s insistence
A slow pitch is expected for India’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand after the team management asked BCCI curators to shave off most of the grass on the Wankhede Stadium playing surface.
The Indian Express understands that the think tank had informed the Wankhede curator about their preference after the game against the Netherlands in Bengaluru.
The BCCI local curators have formed a local organising group to look after pitches across the country during the World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also sent its own experts to various venues for each game.
A Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official confirmed that a message was conveyed to prepare a slow track before the home team reached Mumbai.
“It won’t be a turner but the team had asked for a slow pitch. It was the main reason we shaved off the grass,” a source said.
India has performed well on slow tracks at home over the past few years. Before the World Cup, the team management had requested for their matches to be held on slow pitches.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had a good look at the pitch on Tuesday. Later in the day, the team management spoke to the groundstaff and asked whether they will be spraying the anti-dew chemical post their practice session.
Chasing has been difficult at the Wankhede during the tournament, with only of the four games so far being won by the team batting second, that too due to Glenn Maxwell’s heroics against Afghanistan.
Cricket World Cup: Slow pitch expected for Wankhede semifinal, on Team India’s insistence
Hosts have performed well on such tracks, which prompted such a preference.
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Seems like a slam dunk for India coming up!
jnaveen1980
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Not sure why they want there. India is better off with normal Wankhede pitch. Guys like Santner will become more effective now. Een Ravindra, Philips will come into equation
kingusama92
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If NZ bats first, this could be a nailbiter for both sides.
If India bats first, I think NZ will get destroyed and lose big.
If India bats first, I think NZ will get destroyed and lose big.
Mas-LFC
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Going for India to win. It will be a tough game for them but Indian bowling will outshine NZ.
You make no sense. If its a slow pitch then it will become more slow in 2nd innings. Add to that the ball swings more under lights. Why would NZ want to chase in such a scenario? Moreover in the SFs of last 2 WCs India lost while chasing. So if NZ wins toss they will also try to bat first and put the Indian batting under pressure.
kingusama92
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Yeah this is a no-brainer.
Both teams will bat first if they win the toss. It's logical both for the Wankhede pitch and also the pressure of a knockout match as big as this one.
I hope NZ wins the toss so it's a good game. India can still win it in a chase but I think NZ will get massacred if they have to chase.
But from the 2011 final until the world cup only 1 team won while batting 1st when SA posted above 400 against India. In all other matches teams have chased successfully. In fact AUS chased 250 and won by 10 wickets in 2021. So if teams batting second can play off the 1st 10 overs chasing may get easy.
But in a WC SF the pressure will be on another level so anyone winning toss will surely bat first.
mominsaigol
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On paper India is a stronger team.
In a knock out anything can happen. Nz is beyond dangerous In knock out stages
In a knock out anything can happen. Nz is beyond dangerous In knock out stages
kingusama92
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That's a good point.
The chasing team will have to strategize to see off that initial burst under pressure. But Bumrah, Siraj, Boult, and Southee are incredible bowlers when the ball starts moving.
It will be a tough ask for either side.
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Hope Kiwis win this
pakistani pride
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How many icc trophies NZ has won?
Suleiman
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Would like to see a massive score posted in the semis or finals (if India make it there) with India having to chase and Kohli hitting one last big hundred in a chase in what is probably his last WC.
Hopefully in the semi with India losing the final.
Hopefully in the semi with India losing the final.
Raja Ishtiaq
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I have expressed my reservations about the performance of teams against India on more than one occasion.
I'm not suggesting that there is any match fixing going on but I feel teams lack the intensity and competitiveness when they play against India.
When is the last time we have seen a foreign player sledge an Indian? There was a time when Australian cricketers liked nothing better.
This is why I wanted Pakistan in the semis. They would not have given a damn about facing India!
I'm not suggesting that there is any match fixing going on but I feel teams lack the intensity and competitiveness when they play against India.
When is the last time we have seen a foreign player sledge an Indian? There was a time when Australian cricketers liked nothing better.
This is why I wanted Pakistan in the semis. They would not have given a damn about facing India!
Kriketer
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Should be a walk in the park for India. NZ just doesn't have it in them to win WC, so does SA. Both teams have showed their weaknesses throughout the tournament and tend to bottle it more often than not in later stages. India has been the same bottler but since this is at home they have a much better chance to go through.
India vs Australia will be a much better and intense final contest. This is where I think Aussies will surprise India and take the cup
India vs Australia will be a much better and intense final contest. This is where I think Aussies will surprise India and take the cup
PakFan2010
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The Cricket World Cup has been plunged into an astonishing row amid claims the Indian board have switched the pitch for their team’s semi-final on Wednesday against New Zealand in Mumbai without the ICC’s permission.
And they could do the same if India reach Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, where three of the four group games have been played on different surfaces from those on the schedule.
Pitches at ICC events are prepared under the supervision of the governing body’s consultant, Andy Atkinson, who agrees in advance with the home board which of the numbered strips on the square will be used for each game.
But Mail Sport has learned that the agreement has been ignored as the tournament reaches its climax, with the semi-final set to take place on a pitch that has already been used twice - potentially assisting India’s world-class spinners as they seek to reach their first 50-over World Cup final since 2011.
The pitch for Wednesday's game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium was supposed to be No 7, an entirely fresh surface unused for any of the venue’s four group matches.
But a WhatsApp message circulated on Tuesday to a group of more than 50 BCCI and ICC officials confirmed that the first semi-final had been moved to pitch No 6, which has already staged games between England and South Africa, plus India and Sri Lanka.
Atkinson is understood to have been told there is an unspecified problem with pitch No 7 - an opinion he is thought not to share.
It follows concerns that plans for the final at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, where India or New Zealand will meet Australia or South Africa, who play in Kolkata on Thursday, may also be changed unilaterally.
Atkinson is understood to have grown frustrated at the lack of a straight answer about preparations for the final, which prompted him to fly to Ahmedabad last Friday.
And it has transpired that while the tournament’s opening game, between England and New Zealand, had taken place on the pre-agreed pitch No 6, none of the next three matches conformed to the schedule, with Atkinson claiming in an email to his bosses that the changes had been made ‘without proper notice or forewarning’.
The matter was complicated by the fact that he was told by the ICC’s senior events manager at the venue that the India v Pakistan game there on October 14 took place on pitch No 7, as per the schedule, when it actually took place on pitch No 5.
Atkinson’s recommendation is that the final, too, should be played on pitch No 5, which has been used only once, though he learned last week that pitch No 6 - which has been used twice - could get the nod, again bringing India’s spinners into play.
When he asked who authorised the various changes, the BCCI said it was the Gujarat Cricket Association, while the GCA claimed they had been acting under instructions from the BCCI, with the requests made directly by the Indian team management.
In his email, Atkinson warns: ‘As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever ICC CWC [cricket World Cup] final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.’
He added: ‘Or will it be selected or prepared without favouritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?’
A spokesperson for the BCCI said: 'The ICC independent pitch consultant works with the host and venues on their proposed pitch allocations and this process is ongoing throughout an event of this length and nature.'
www.dailymail.co.uk
And they could do the same if India reach Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, where three of the four group games have been played on different surfaces from those on the schedule.
Pitches at ICC events are prepared under the supervision of the governing body’s consultant, Andy Atkinson, who agrees in advance with the home board which of the numbered strips on the square will be used for each game.
But Mail Sport has learned that the agreement has been ignored as the tournament reaches its climax, with the semi-final set to take place on a pitch that has already been used twice - potentially assisting India’s world-class spinners as they seek to reach their first 50-over World Cup final since 2011.
The pitch for Wednesday's game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium was supposed to be No 7, an entirely fresh surface unused for any of the venue’s four group matches.
But a WhatsApp message circulated on Tuesday to a group of more than 50 BCCI and ICC officials confirmed that the first semi-final had been moved to pitch No 6, which has already staged games between England and South Africa, plus India and Sri Lanka.
Atkinson is understood to have been told there is an unspecified problem with pitch No 7 - an opinion he is thought not to share.
It follows concerns that plans for the final at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, where India or New Zealand will meet Australia or South Africa, who play in Kolkata on Thursday, may also be changed unilaterally.
Atkinson is understood to have grown frustrated at the lack of a straight answer about preparations for the final, which prompted him to fly to Ahmedabad last Friday.
And it has transpired that while the tournament’s opening game, between England and New Zealand, had taken place on the pre-agreed pitch No 6, none of the next three matches conformed to the schedule, with Atkinson claiming in an email to his bosses that the changes had been made ‘without proper notice or forewarning’.
The matter was complicated by the fact that he was told by the ICC’s senior events manager at the venue that the India v Pakistan game there on October 14 took place on pitch No 7, as per the schedule, when it actually took place on pitch No 5.
Atkinson’s recommendation is that the final, too, should be played on pitch No 5, which has been used only once, though he learned last week that pitch No 6 - which has been used twice - could get the nod, again bringing India’s spinners into play.
When he asked who authorised the various changes, the BCCI said it was the Gujarat Cricket Association, while the GCA claimed they had been acting under instructions from the BCCI, with the requests made directly by the Indian team management.
In his email, Atkinson warns: ‘As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever ICC CWC [cricket World Cup] final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.’
He added: ‘Or will it be selected or prepared without favouritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?’
A spokesperson for the BCCI said: 'The ICC independent pitch consultant works with the host and venues on their proposed pitch allocations and this process is ongoing throughout an event of this length and nature.'
EXCLUSIVE: India accused of stitch-up over semi-final pitch
EXCLUSIVE: The cricket World Cup has been plunged into an astonishing row amid claims the Indian board have switched the pitch for their team's semi-final on Wednesday.
OMB
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There is enough sledging happening off the field and hence the players keep very low stock in sledging as a tactic.
Alas, those days of "watch the Windows, Tino" are gone
Visaal-E-Yaar
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CheatersThe Cricket World Cup has been plunged into an astonishing row amid claims the Indian board have switched the pitch for their team’s semi-final on Wednesday against New Zealand in Mumbai without the ICC’s permission.
And they could do the same if India reach Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, where three of the four group games have been played on different surfaces from those on the schedule.
Pitches at ICC events are prepared under the supervision of the governing body’s consultant, Andy Atkinson, who agrees in advance with the home board which of the numbered strips on the square will be used for each game.
But Mail Sport has learned that the agreement has been ignored as the tournament reaches its climax, with the semi-final set to take place on a pitch that has already been used twice - potentially assisting India’s world-class spinners as they seek to reach their first 50-over World Cup final since 2011.
The pitch for Wednesday's game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium was supposed to be No 7, an entirely fresh surface unused for any of the venue’s four group matches.
But a WhatsApp message circulated on Tuesday to a group of more than 50 BCCI and ICC officials confirmed that the first semi-final had been moved to pitch No 6, which has already staged games between England and South Africa, plus India and Sri Lanka.
Atkinson is understood to have been told there is an unspecified problem with pitch No 7 - an opinion he is thought not to share.
It follows concerns that plans for the final at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, where India or New Zealand will meet Australia or South Africa, who play in Kolkata on Thursday, may also be changed unilaterally.
Atkinson is understood to have grown frustrated at the lack of a straight answer about preparations for the final, which prompted him to fly to Ahmedabad last Friday.
And it has transpired that while the tournament’s opening game, between England and New Zealand, had taken place on the pre-agreed pitch No 6, none of the next three matches conformed to the schedule, with Atkinson claiming in an email to his bosses that the changes had been made ‘without proper notice or forewarning’.
The matter was complicated by the fact that he was told by the ICC’s senior events manager at the venue that the India v Pakistan game there on October 14 took place on pitch No 7, as per the schedule, when it actually took place on pitch No 5.
Atkinson’s recommendation is that the final, too, should be played on pitch No 5, which has been used only once, though he learned last week that pitch No 6 - which has been used twice - could get the nod, again bringing India’s spinners into play.
When he asked who authorised the various changes, the BCCI said it was the Gujarat Cricket Association, while the GCA claimed they had been acting under instructions from the BCCI, with the requests made directly by the Indian team management.
In his email, Atkinson warns: ‘As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever ICC CWC [cricket World Cup] final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.’
He added: ‘Or will it be selected or prepared without favouritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?’
A spokesperson for the BCCI said: 'The ICC independent pitch consultant works with the host and venues on their proposed pitch allocations and this process is ongoing throughout an event of this length and nature.'
EXCLUSIVE: India accused of stitch-up over semi-final pitch
EXCLUSIVE: The cricket World Cup has been plunged into an astonishing row amid claims the Indian board have switched the pitch for their team's semi-final on Wednesday.
Anyone feeling too worried about this match should revisit the scorecard from Pak v NZ. If a tortoise like Babar can score at more than a run a ball against them, we don't have too much to worry about. Of course batting at the Chinnaswamy is a little different from potentially chasing at Wankhede but India are still far ahead.
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