Explorer

World Cup 2019: Williamson says Kiwis Believed They Could Put Pressure On India With 240-run Target

In the rain-hit semifinal played over two days, New Zealand scored 239/8 in 50 overs after opting to bat. Kane Williamson (67) and Ross Taylor (74) formed the bedrock of their innings.

Terming themselves as underdogs, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Wednesday defended the way they batted against India in the World Cup semifinal at the Old Trafford which they won by 18 runs to reach the final for the second time in a row. In the rain-hit semifinal played over two days, New Zealand scored 239/8 in 50 overs after opting to bat. Kane Williamson (67) and Ross Taylor (74) formed the bedrock of their innings. In reply, India lost four top order batsmen for just 24 runs inside 10 overs before Ravindra Jadeja (77) and M.S. Dhoni (50) shared a 116-run seventh wicket stand to raise hopes for an unlikely victory. However, it wasn't enough in the end as India fell short by 18 runs. The Black Caps faced a lot of flak for their slow batting and it was perceived that India would surpass the target with ease. But that was far from the truth, as the Kiwi bowlers led by Matt Henry (3/37) wreaked havoc to dash India's hopes. "Great semifinal over two days and we are very pleased to be on the right side of it," Williamson said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "It was really tough and we had to assess the conditions. Both teams thought it would be a high-scoring match...But we thought if we could get to 240, we could put India under pressure," he added. Acknowleding that the stand between Jadeja and Dhoni could have taken the game away from them, Williamson said their bowlers were successful in executing the plan of pitching the ball in the right areas. "Lot of contributions from everyone. A lot of it was on the conditions and the rain around. We just wanted to put the ball in the good areas and put pressure on India. We just wanted some early wickets and it was a great start for the bowlers. We needed to stay in the game for long periods. The way Jadeja and Dhoni were hitting the ball, they were likely to win, but our fielders were outstanding," he said. New Zealand made the semifinal by the skin of their teeth, finishing fourth after losing three games on the trot and bettering fifth-placed Pakistan only on net run rate. "Yeah, it's a different feeling -- the way he had to skin it through the round-robin stage. Some of those games were tough and the conditions also varied. We were underdogs coming into the semis but anything can happen on any given day. It was nice to see the guys fight for two days," Williamson concluded. In the 2015 World Cup, Australia had defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the final played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

SC Allows GRAP-IV Restrictions To Be Relaxed In Delhi As City's AQI Improves
SC Allows GRAP-IV Restrictions To Be Relaxed In Delhi As City's AQI Improves
Manish Sisodia Out, Avadh Ojha In? Ex-Deputy CM May Move Out Of Patparganj To Fight THIS Seat
Manish Sisodia Out, Avadh Ojha In? Ex-Deputy CM May Move Out Of Patparganj To Fight THIS Seat
Allu Arjun Booked For Pushpa 2 Screening's Stampede In Hyderabad Theatre
Allu Arjun Booked For Pushpa 2 Screening's Stampede In Hyderabad Theatre
'Beef Is Not Cow': Kerala BJP Leader Says Himanta's Beef Ban In Assam Could Send 'Wrong Message'
'Beef Is Not Cow': Kerala BJP Leader Says Himanta's Beef Ban In Assam Could Send 'Wrong Message'
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

Maharashtra oath ceremony: Nameplate of Shinde's office change as soon as he became the Deputy Chief MinisterMaharashtra oath ceremony: Watch the entire oath taking ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis here | Eknath ShindeWho in BJP did not want Fadnavis to become CM, who made the path easy? | Maharashtra CM OathAs soon as he became CM, Fadnavis became a thorn in whose path? | Maharashtra CM Oath

Photo Gallery

Embed widget