Kane Williamson’s interview:
India broke the myth of losing in the semifinals by defeating New Zealand by 70 runs on Wednesday, securing a spot in the World Cup final for the fourth time. India had not progressed beyond the semifinals in 1987, 1996, 2015, and 2019.
Four years ago, in Manchester, New Zealand halted India’s victory campaign, a debt they settled at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Winning the toss, India set a record in the World Cup knockout stage by scoring 397 runs for the loss of four wickets. In response, New Zealand’s team was bowled out for 327 runs in 48.5 overs. Kohli contributed 113 runs off 117 balls, while Shreyas Iyer scored 105 runs off 70 balls, forming a partnership of 163 runs in 128 balls.
Read more articles on ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 –
- ICC CWC-Virat Kohli’s dominance in the 50-over format makes him the undisputed king of the World Cup
- India vs England WC Match: Zomato, Swiggy, Google India, Uber, and others celebrated India’s victory in a unique way
After the defeat, Captain Kane Williamson said,
Firstly, congratulations to the Indian team. They played fantastic cricket throughout. They played their best game today. They are a top team and have played top cricket. “It’s disappointing to exit in the knockout stage” kane Williamson mentioned. The effort was there. India is a top-level team. The world-class batters have just arrived, and they displayed superb batting, reaching up to 400 runs. It was challenging as the ball was moving around.
Credit to India, especially Shreyas, he outplayed us. It was good to stay in the contest and give ourselves a chance. I’m happy hosting India. As a team, we are committed to playing the cricket we wanted to play. Rachin and Mitchell were special players. They played really well. The bowlers bowled here and there. Proud moment. Ultimately, it’s moving forward as a team.
Before this, Captain Rohit Sharma played a blazing inning, scoring 47 runs off 29 balls, giving India a brisk start. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, who retired hurt in the middle, made a comeback in the final over, playing an unbeaten inning of 80 runs off 66 balls. KL Rahul remained unbeaten with 39 runs off 20 balls. At one point, New Zealand was at 39 for two wickets, after which Daryl Mitchell (134 off 119 balls) and Captain Kane Williamson (69 runs off 73 balls) formed a partnership of 181 runs for the third wicket. Mitchell hit nine fours and seven sixes in his innings.
Shami produced the best performance of his career, taking seven wickets for 57 runs, setting a new Indian record. This is the first instance where any Indian bowler has claimed seven wickets in a One Day International match.
