KOLKATA: Mitchell Santner admits Pakistan’s stumble against Sri Lanka cannot keep his side’s glimmering hopes alive, but the New Zealand captain insists his side are ready to embrace the heat of the semi-final clash.
The Black Caps booked their place in the last four of the T20 World Cup thanks to results elsewhere, which left Santner and his teammates on edge.
“Watching the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match was very tough and very tense at times,” he said. Pakistan had to stumble to New Zealand to advance to the semi-finals of this T20 World Cup. “There were a few other boys in my room and I had to leave because it was so hard.”
Now that they have reached this point, the challenge is enormous. The South African team that awaits them at the Eden Gardens has steamrolled all opposition.
The two sides met in the group stage a fortnight ago and for the first 13 overs, the match was tied before New Zealand stumbled. With just seven wins from 19 T20I meetings, the historical record offers little consolation.
“South Africa have a lot of power,” Santner said. “I think the powerplay for us with the ball was that they really got off to a flyer. We probably didn’t play the right game throughout this match. I think that’s a good thing for us. All together, it puts us in a good position.”
Although the Proteas boast a formidable record, knockout cricket has a habit of rewriting narratives. New Zealand have a 3-0 lead over South Africa in ICC knockout matches, although all those wins have come in the 50-over format.
“I think, for us, it’s… everyone’s goal throughout the tournament is to get to this point,” Santner said.
“Here we are now, we’re one game behind against most teams… we’re able to adapt quickly to what’s in front of us. South Africa look like a good outfit as they showed. I think they’re the same as us now. It’s a game to the end.”
Santner is well aware that his bowling attack will face a stern test against the most explosive batting line-up in the competition. The key, he suggests, may lie in managing the innings rather than chasing wickets.
Adding another layer of intrigue is the pitch at Eden Gardens and its relatively narrow boundaries. Having seen the surface create a flat track for the India-West Indies match, Santner believes spinners can still play a role, but adaptation is key.
“We were looking at the wicket the other night (in the India-West Indies match) and it was very flat,” Santner said. “I think the spinners still have a role to play. And (the) seamers. And I think the dimensions of the ground also play a massive role in the conditions.
“I mean, we had a big side for those two games (in Sri Lanka). We (bowlers) can try to bring it to a (big) side, whereas it (boundaries) is a bit smaller here (at Eden Gardens), but (the pitch) is very central. So, again, it’s adapted on the fly.”
Beyond on-field tactics, Santner sympathized with those affected by the crisis in West Asia, where teams involved in tournaments faced delays in returning home.
However, he stressed the importance of staying focused on the task at hand.
“I think it’s a challenge,” he said. “I mean, everybody’s not that far from the news, whether it’s on your phone or on TV, you see what’s going on. So I think, at the end of the day, I think we’re pretty safe here. We’ve got a big game tomorrow.
“So what we can do today is prepare for this game tomorrow and then go out and try to put on a little show for people to come out and watch the game.”