Sunday was an action-packed tripleheader. The Netherlands, who eliminated the Proteas earlier today, have secured straight qualifying for the next T20 World Cup. Pakistan, who appeared doomed after losing their first two games, has advanced to the last four. And India takes first place in Group 2. Phew! The Super 12s, which had several twists and turns, are over. And the semifinal matches have been confirmed: New Zealand vs. Pakistan at the SCG on Wednesday (November 9) and India vs. England at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (November 10). We’ll have a few days to regain our breath. Abhinand Raghavendran bids farewell on behalf of Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Nikhil Jadhav, and Siva MD till the semifinal.
Semifinal Race Begins
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Rohit Sharma: It was a solid all-around effort, which was something we were hoping for. We had qualified before the game, but it was critical that we come out and play the way we wanted to play. (On SKY) He’s doing an outstanding job for the squad. Playing and relieving pressure off batters is critical from a team standpoint. We know his skill, so the other men may take their time as well. The dugout may relax because of his confidence during batting. He’s maintained his cool. This is something we expect from him, and he’s just gotten better.
(In the semifinal vs England) The key for us will be to adapt to the situation as soon as feasible. We’ve just played there, but England will be a terrific test for us. They’ve been playing some excellent cricket. It’ll be a tremendous game with two teams going at it.
We don’t want to lose sight of what brought us here; we just need to continue with it and realize what each individual needs to accomplish. It will be a high-pressure contest. We must do admirably. We have a good game ahead of us if we perform well there. You must react fast and plan properly.
Craig Ervine: We could have tweaked a few things, but Surya did an excellent job on the back end, countering Richie’s (Ngarava) wide yorkers. We could have taken our foot off the gas then. He deserves credit for coming out and changing the game. We had some early success with the bat leading up to the competition. We got away from that brave cricket in the last two of games and retreated into our shells a little bit.
If you just stand there and let it swing, you’re probably going to nick off or be bowled. You should be more proactive. Our previous findings did not proceed as expected. We worked hard to make the Super 12s. We’ll expand on it. We played excellent fielding, especially catching. Throughout the World Cup, the youngsters battled valiantly.
Also read : New Zealand and England have qualified for ICC Mens T20 World Cup Semi Finals from Group 1
Suryakumar Yadav, The Player of the Match: When Hardik and I were batting together, I felt the idea was quite apparent. He advised us to have a positive approach, and we began striking the ball and never stopped. I believe the mood in the squad is great, as is the build-up to the knockout game; I’m really looking forward to it.
My strategy has always been simple: I practice the same shots in the nets. I bat based on the scenario and what the team needs. It feels great to be there (number 1 ranked T20I batter). I believe that you must always begin from zero. It’s encouraging to see so many people turn up; let’s see how things go in the next game.