Santner says New Zealand must ‘put it all together’ to defeat unbeaten South Africa

KOLKATA: Mitchell Santner admits he could barely watch as his side’s flickering hopes were kept alive by Pakistan’s stumble against Sri Lanka, but the New Zealand captain insists his team are ready to embrace the heat of a semi-final showdown with the tournament’s only unbeaten side, South Africa.

The Black Caps secured their place in the last four of the T20 World Cup thanks to results elsewhere, a scenario that left Santner and his team-mates on edge.

“I guess watching the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game was a pretty tough watch, pretty nervy at times,” he said. New Zealand needed Pakistan to stumble in order to make this T20 World Cup semi-final. “I had a few other boys in my room and I had to leave because it was pretty tough.”

Now that they have arrived at this stage, the challenge is monumental. Awaiting them at Eden Gardens is a South African side that has steamrollered all opposition.

The two sides met in the group stage a fortnight ago, and for the first 13 overs, the contest was evenly poised before New Zealand faltered. The historical record offers little comfort either, with just seven wins from 19 T20I meetings.

“South Africa have a lot of power,” Santner said. “I think the powerplay for us with the ball was where they really got away to a flyer. We haven’t probably played the perfect game throughout this tournament. And I guess that’s a good thing for us. If we can put it all together, it’ll put us in a pretty good position.”

While the Proteas boast a formidable record, knockout cricket has a habit of rewriting narratives. New Zealand hold a 3-0 advantage over South Africa in ICC knockout matches, though all of those triumphs came in the 50-over format.

“I think for us, it’s… everyone’s goal throughout the tournament is to get to this stage,” Santner said.  “We’re here now and we back ourselves on one-off games against most teams… being able to adapt as quick as we can to what’s in front of us. South Africa look like a very good outfit, as they’ve shown. And I guess they’re in the same boat as us now. It’s one game in here until the final.”

Santner is acutely aware that his bowling attack will face a stern examination against the tournament’s most explosive batting line-up. The key, he suggests, may lie in managing the innings rather than simply hunting wickets.

Adding another layer of intrigue is the pitch at Eden Gardens and its relatively short boundaries. Having watched the surface produce a flat track for the India-West Indies match, Santner believes spinners can still play a role, but adaptation will be crucial.

“We were looking at the wicket the other night [in the India-West Indies game] and it was pretty flat,” Santner said. “I think there’s still a role to play for the spinners. Also [the] seamers. And I think the ground dimensions as well plays a massive part in conditions.

“I mean, [in] Sri Lanka, we had a big side for both those games. We [the bowlers] can try and get it to that [bigger] side, whereas it’s [the boundaries] a little bit smaller here [at Eden Gardens], but [the pitch is] more central. So, again, it’s adapting on the fly.”

Away from the on-field tactics, Santner expressed sympathy for those affected by the ongoing crisis in west Asia, including teams involved in the tournament who have faced delays returning home.

However, he stressed the importance of focusing on the task at hand. “I guess it is a challenge,” he said. “I mean, everyone’s not too far away from the news, whether it’s on your phone or TV and you’re kind of seeing what’s going on. So I think, at the end of the day, I think we’re pretty safe here. And we have a massive game tomorrow.

“So what we can do today is prepare for this game tomorrow and then go out there and try to put on a bit of a show for people to come out and watch the game.” Web Desk