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T20 World Cup, NZ vs SA: Speaking to the reporters, Skipper Mitchell Santner said that New Zealand are happy to go into their semifinal against South Africa on March 4 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata
Transcript
00:01Congratulations for getting to the semis here.
00:05The thing is the time span since you played the last match in Lanka and you've been here.
00:11Do you think that a couple of days more would have been better off?
00:16You would have been better off for acclimatising to the conditions as well as the wicket.
00:20Big game.
00:22Yeah, I guess the conditions are probably going to be a little bit different to where we've been in Colombo.
00:27But I guess this stage of the tournament, everyone's played a lot of cricket.
00:32Even some rest days in between is probably more beneficial.
00:35Guys had a good hit out today.
00:38And I guess we watched the game the other night, which was a good indicator on what the surface will
00:42be like.
00:43And then, yeah, I think everyone will be ready to go for tomorrow.
00:48Hi Mitchell.
00:49So, from 2016 to 2016, India has been pretty integral to how you have shaped up in international cricket.
01:00How can you sum up that journey?
01:04And do you think that this team is finally ready with all the experiences from the IPL and other leagues
01:11and your tours here?
01:13Do you think that you're finally there to just go through and win it?
01:18That would be nice.
01:20But, yeah, I think the more you can experience the conditions you're playing in, the more you learn from it.
01:27Whether it's, you know, international tour, IPL.
01:31You know, I think, and the same for most teams.
01:34South Africa are the same.
01:35You know, I've got a majority of the guys in the IPL played a lot in these conditions as well.
01:38So, yeah, I think everyone's kind of pretty familiar with what you're going to get.
01:42And obviously, it's, you know, on the day, what it looks like.
01:46You know, it can change quickly.
01:48Conditions can change.
01:50You know, opposition changes.
01:51So, I think, you know, the teams who can go out there and do that the quickest, put themselves in
01:55a pretty good position.
01:57Yeah, and I guess our squad's been here a few times.
02:00But, again, you know, you get to semifinals cricket, it means that you're playing other teams that are also playing
02:04pretty good cricket.
02:06In South Africa, obviously, right up there.
02:08And you've got some of them from 2016 to now in India.
02:13Yeah, they're not spinning as much as it was back then, unfortunately.
02:17But, yeah, it's been a great journey.
02:20You know, we always enjoy playing cricket in India.
02:22Obviously, the fans is one of the reasons why you play the game.
02:25And, you know, they come out and truckloads to watch in India.
02:27And it'll be, you know, no doubt tomorrow night.
02:30So, yeah, boys are excited for that.
02:32You know, some guys first, you know, World Cups, first semifinals, you know, in front of a lot of people.
02:38So, it's exciting.
02:39At the back there, Mr. Khan.
02:41Mitch, you know, after the defeat to England, you guys sort of had the fate of your tournament taken away
02:48from you.
02:48So, can you just talk about the experience of watching the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game, given how Pakistan began and
02:53then how Sri Lanka began, and then you had to travel here, like you said, after a long time in
02:57Colombo.
02:58And now, you know, Zimbabwe spoke about having to adjust to different dimensions and conditions.
03:02So, how has that been, like, the last few days?
03:04Can you just talk us through?
03:06Yeah, I guess we, you know, we've had to do that throughout this tournament.
03:09Obviously, the pool play, we're in Chennai and I'm the bad.
03:13Different grounds, different conditions.
03:14Go to Colombo.
03:15Again, very different.
03:17Yeah, it was a, I guess, watching the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game was a pretty tough watch.
03:22It was pretty nervy at times.
03:24I had a few of the boys in my room and I had to leave because it was pretty tough.
03:28But, yeah, I mean, you know, Pakistan also played pretty good cricket throughout this competition.
03:34Same with Sri Lanka.
03:35It's a very, you know, fine margins at the end of the day, separating a lot of teams.
03:40Especially, you know, as we've seen throughout the tournament, there's been, you know, potential upsets throughout the whole comp.
03:45So, and I think at every stage, you know, the result is you just want to get through to the
03:50next stage.
03:50Whether it's the first stage, obviously Super 8 and now it's semi-finals.
03:54It's a, you know, it's one game and you can potentially move on.
03:57So, again, it's, you know, we're here now, which is ideal.
04:01But, again, we've got a, we know we've got a challenge tomorrow against a very good team.
04:04Mr Khan in videos.
04:06Yeah.
04:06I am Zafar Ali Khan from SANA 24 into 7.
04:10We are, in India, we are having festival of colours.
04:14Wish you play colourful game and what would be the role of each Saudi to contain Markram?
04:22Yeah, I guess our uniform is not that colourful.
04:24So, I might have to jazz it up a little bit, wearing black out there.
04:27But, yeah, I mean, you know, I've been around in India for a few times.
04:32You know, whenever there's festivals, it's great to see.
04:36Yeah, hopefully we can put on a bit of a show tomorrow night.
04:38But, and I think, yeah, I guess we're looking at the wicket the other night.
04:41It was pretty flat.
04:42I think there's still a role to play for the spinners, you know, also seamers.
04:46And, and I think the ground dimensions as well plays a massive part in, you know, conditions.
04:52I mean, Sri Lanka, we had a big side for both those games where you can try and get hit
04:56to that side,
04:56where it's a little bit smaller here, a bit more central.
04:59So, again, it's, you know, adapting on the fly.
05:02It's getting in and out of overs as best you can and trying to restrict a team, a very good
05:05team to score.
05:09Hello.
05:10Actually, you have been for a long time in India.
05:13And just before you started the game, you almost, weather conditions due, everything is very well known to you.
05:21And the same advantage is both in South Africa and with you also.
05:25This pitch is very dry pitch here.
05:27And what you will be planning as a toss here, whether you will go for batting first or changing here?
05:34Yeah, I think this time of the year, it's probably not as dewy as it, you know, is for IPL
05:39especially.
05:39I know IPL, you tend to just bowl first because then chasing, it's pretty hard to hold on to the
05:44ball.
05:45So, you know, we got Intel back from the other night, West Indies-India game, it looked pretty good wicket.
05:51A little bit of due second innings, but I think it's whatever you do first, you do it well, you
05:55put yourself in a pretty good position.
05:57You know, West Indies, if they could have got 200, it might have been 210, different story.
06:01But then I think, you know, it takes one man, Sandju, to take that game away from West Indies.
06:06So it's a very balanced game.
06:08So I think, you know, either what you do at the toss, if you do it well, you put yourself
06:12in a pretty good position.
06:14Mitch, there's a lot of talk about South Africa and it being, you know, potentially their time.
06:19And of course, there's always rhetoric around South Africa and historical narrative.
06:23But for you guys, I mean, you also want to win a World Cup.
06:25Just tell us about what it may mean to you and how you see the narrative in New Zealand versus
06:29the narrative in South Africa.
06:32Yeah, I guess it's, you look, it's probably two teams that have been in and around it for a long
06:36time.
06:37I guess we know the heartbreak of South Africa two years ago.
06:42You know, I think, again, they're playing some very good cricket, as they've shown throughout this tournament.
06:47I guess the only unbeaten team, you know, we've been playing some decent cricket as well.
06:52So I think, yeah, it's, I guess it's whoever turns up on the day tomorrow, whoever, you know, assesses conditions
06:58the best they can.
06:58We know South Africa are going to be a threat, as they've shown.
07:02And we're just going to go out there and try, you know, put some pressure on them at different stages
07:06of the game.
07:07And, you know, they're going to do the same for us.
07:08So it's, you know, I guess you're, you're not quite there, especially not quite a final, but, you know, it's
07:14still a massive game.
07:15And you can do those things well for a long period of time and see what happens.
07:18But, you know, South Africa, you know, very well balanced side, as we've seen throughout this tournament.
07:23Last few questions, guys, please.
07:26Yeah, part of it was asked by the lady, you know, you like seeing, watching South Africa and your campaign
07:33in this tournament,
07:34South Africa beat both you and India and probably the favourites at the moment.
07:41And you have sort of started and but arrived at the semi-finals.
07:45How do you see this position?
07:47Do you feel like an underdog or just another game, another day?
07:52And you have your chances?
07:54Yeah, I think it's whether you want to call it the underdogs or not.
07:59I think for us, it's, you know, everyone's goal that throughout the tournament is to get to the stage.
08:05We're here now and we back ourselves, you know, on one off games against, you know, most teams.
08:10You know, being able to adapt as quick as we can to what's in front of us.
08:15You know, South Africa looked like a very good outfit, as they've shown.
08:18And I guess they're in the same boat as us now.
08:19It's one game and you're into a final.
08:22You know, and it's going to be the same for India and England.
08:24So, you know, I guess conditions have changed a lot for us where we've been.
08:29Chennai, Ahmedabad, Sri Lanka, you know, and again, we're in Kolkata.
08:34We haven't been here before.
08:35We'll address conditions tomorrow and see what it looks like.
08:38But, yeah, I think at this stage, it's just a knockout game.
08:41And that's it at the end of the day.
08:42And whoever really turns up is going to get through.
08:46Sorry, last few questions.
08:48The gentleman at the back.
08:51Hi, Mitchell.
08:55Karpuk.
09:04I was wondering if there were any specific lessons or learnings that you guys have spoken about
09:10through the week from that first game against South Africa.
09:14Yeah, for sure.
09:15I mean, you know, I guess the bad surface was a good one.
09:22And South Africa have a lot of power.
09:23I think the power play for us with the ball was, you know, where they really got away to a
09:27fly.
09:28So, you know, I guess, you know, I guess every time you play, there's, you know, we haven't probably played
09:34the perfect game throughout this tournament.
09:36And I guess that's a good thing for us.
09:37I guess if we can put it all together, put us in a pretty good position.
09:40But, yeah, I think there's no real hiding or, you know, secrets about what South Africa are going to bring.
09:46And, you know, them for us, you know, we know they're going to probably roll out the same team and
09:50a very good team at that.
09:53You know, and then I guess for us, they probably know what we're going to do as well.
09:57So, again, it's all up to, I guess, the surface and adapting as quick as we can.
10:02But, you know, we know if you can get, you know, into that top order, but their middle order packs
10:08a lot of power as well.
10:09So it's, you know, might not be trying to bowl them.
10:12It might be trying to get in out of overs and, you know, trying to, you know, it might be
10:16180 is a good score instead of 220.
10:18But I guess we'll wait and see.
10:20But, yeah, I think, you know, they have kind of all bases covered.
10:24And that's why they're undefeated in this tournament.
10:29Hi Mitch.
10:30How difficult is it to focus ahead of a game as crucial as the World Cup semi-final when you
10:34know that certain teams have been stranded in this country.
10:37They're unable to fly back.
10:38There's a crisis in a part of the world.
10:40How difficult is it to focus on a game of cricket in this situation?
10:44Yeah, I guess it is a challenge.
10:46I mean, it's, you know, everyone's not too far away from the news, whether it's on your phone or the
10:50TV.
10:51And you're kind of seeing what's going on.
10:52So I think, you know, at the end of the day, I think we're pretty safe here.
10:56And, you know, we have a massive game tomorrow.
10:59So it's, you know, it's what we can do today is prepare for this game tomorrow.
11:04And then, you know, go out there and try to put on a bit of a show for people who
11:07come out and watch some game.
11:12Hi, Mitch.
11:14Is Matt back into your team?
11:17Just a query on that.
11:19Also, are you happy just being underdogs?
11:22I mean, good for you that you're underdogs.
11:24You can just...
11:25Yeah.
11:26Well, we've had that tag for a long time.
11:28So we're kind of used to it.
11:31Matt is currently in the air and is landing tonight.
11:34So I guess we'll see how he pulls up.
11:38It's obviously quite far away, New Zealand, from here.
11:40But, you know, he will obviously have a little run around in the morning, see if he's really able to
11:43go.
11:44So, yeah.
11:46No, hopefully he's good to go.
11:47We'll be everybody.
11:47Here we go.
11:47Good place.
11:47Good time.
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