New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is upbeat about his team’s chances of taking down “exceptional” India when the teams meet in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Hosts India have won all nine of their games at the tournament so far and are the favourites to go on and lift the trophy for the first time since 2011.
The Black Caps suffered four group-stage defeats, including a four-wicket loss to India on October 22, but Williamson insists that will have no bearing when the teams meet again in Mumbai for a place in the final.
“India have been exceptional,” he told a press conference. “They are one of the, if not the best team going around and are playing cricket that matches that.
“But we know on our day, when we play our best cricket, it gives us the best chance.
“We know it’s going to be a really tough challenge. They are a side that have been playing extremely well but we all know, come finals time, everything starts again and it’s all about the day.
“Every game in this tournament is a tricky one. As we’ve seen throughout, anybody can beat anybody on the day, whether that be the quality on both sides but also the change in conditions and if that has an impact.
“For us, it’s great to have got to the final stage and then take a fresh approach because it does start again.”
New Zealand head into their fifth-consecutive semi-final of the World Cup but have come up short in lifting the trophy on the previous four occasions, more recently to England in the 2019 final.
On their way to that final, Williamson’s side knocked India out of the tournament, who too have made a habit of falling short in the last four in the last two editions of the World Cup.
Williamson thinks this game will be completely different to the one played four years ago, adding: “The game might be a little bit different. It might be played over one day rather than two, looking at the weather.
To do what he's done so far in this tournament with his feet firmly on the ground has been very special. He's a special and talented player— Kane Williamson on Rachin Ravindra
“Teams work hard to get to this stage, they have to play a lot of good cricket.
“With the tournament structure to get here over such a long period of time, it’s a great occasion and it’s on the day. Both teams will be looking to play their best cricket and compete in the best way that we can.”
Virat Kohli has scored the most runs at the tournament so far with 594 to his name but trailing him by 29 is 23-year-old Rachin Ravindra, who has put in several superb performances, scoring three centuries.
Williamson has been pleased with what he has seen from Ravindra during his debut World Cup.
He added: “Quite incredible really.
“He’s burst onto the scene in quite a big way in a role that perhaps was not natural in our environment.
“To do what he’s done so far in this tournament with his feet firmly on the ground has been very special. As we have all seen, he’s a special and talented player.”
Check the latest odds and tips for the Cricket World Cup here.
