Will New Zealand be able to deliver the coup de grace on India?

• I don’t think we need to do anything different from what we’ve been doing - Sharma
• First semi-final of World Cup in Mumbai today

Indian captain Rohit Sharma

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson

MUMBAI: Despite the loss of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, India appears to be a settled side at the moment having won all their nine league matches comfortably and going into the first semi-finals of the 2023 Cricket World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium today with their reputation intact as the team with the best record to win the title.

However, one thing that could wary India is their poor reputation against New Zealand in the ICC events. It was the same opponent four years ago who sent India crashing out of the World Cup in a similar stage.

“India has 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,” said New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson at the pre-match media conference.

“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.”

India of course has the edge having beaten New Zealand in the league phase by four wickets at Dharamsala, but for New Zealand that result is a thing of the past.

“That was a great game 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,” said Williamson.

“Because it’s very difficult for nine games to kind of micromanage that process. It’s about how you want to express yourself as a team day in and day out and assess the conditions in front of you and the different opposition that you keep facing. 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. That’s a big part of the challenge not only to the opposition but the change in venue as well.”

Indian captain Rohit Sharma said that he was aware of what New Zealand are capable of.

“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 to go out there and play the game,” said Sharma.

“Whenever we’ve come up against New Zealand, obviously, they’re 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. They’ve been very consistent for so many years now, playing semi-finals 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.”

India, it seems, has got all their bases covered. “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.”

Playing an important tournament as the World Cup in India brings added pressure on the players and Sharma said the players have got to cope with it.

“In India, if you are an Indian cricketer, then whatever the format, whatever the tournament, there is always pressure. 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.”