New Delhi: Former India wicket-keeper Surinder Khanna believes that among India and New Zealand, the team that will control their nerves will emerge triumphant in the first semi-final of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be held in Mumbai.
Some excerpts from the exclusive interview:
Q: The semi-final match between India and New Zealand is going to be held in Mumbai, how do you think the contest will unfold?
A: New Zealand have played the last two World Cup finals and looking at the current form of both the teams in this tournament so far, I can say that India has played excellent cricket so far and have won all their matches comfortably. But it is a knock-out match, so India's performance on the given day will shape the result. Whatever happened before today is in the record books. The finalist will be decided on Wednesday but I consider the Indian team as favourites.
Q: It is a common perception that India crumbles under pressure in knock-out matches, is this true?
A: There is definitely pressure. However, it is not appropriate to say it's more in the knockout stage and less in the league stage game. Playing for the country always brings pressure. If one doesn't feel that pressure, I believe that he is not serious about his game. Once I spoke to an Olympic champion in the 100 meter race. She had won three Olympic gold medals. Still she said doesn't know what will happen today. Look at the work of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. They make us feel how easy batting is. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson too works hard and aptly their work speaks for them, as in an adage. Of course, our players hog limelight and the Blackcaps don't. Yet, their work is no less than anyone else's. Williamson is disciplined, plays with a lot of planning and doesn't talk big, so his work speaks for itself. The competition is fierce and only the one who controls his nerves will win.
Q: The pitch of Wankhede in Mumbai is of red soil and the ball has good bounce and big scores are also made in the first innings. Experts also say that ‘if you win the toss, you win the match’. Will winning the toss be so crucial in the semi final?
A: There are many factors. Rohit Sharma is of a very calm and composed nature. He is rarely seen upset about anything on the field. When the captain is in form, he inspires his players. Rohit is experienced and he has led Mumbai Indians to the IPL trophy three-four times. Rohit is from Mumbai which is his home venue. Four players of the team are also from Mumbai and that might work in the favour of the team. We play on the same grounds where IPL matches were played. It kind of makes it a level playing field. It remains to be seen how the wicket holds up as there is a lot of heat and humidity there. Maxwell single-handedly scored two hundred against Afghanistan. No one could even think of it. Maxwell was having cramps there because there is water loss and salt loss when you play in Mumbai, so players from both India and New Zealand play here in IPL and are aware of the conditions here.
Q: Looking at the structure of the Indian team, do you think that even if we lose the toss, our bowling is capable of putting New Zealand in trouble?
A- We have Ravindra Jadeja coming at number seven and he also bowls well. Our batters bat till number nine but if the top batters perform well and play out all the fifty overs, then it will be good. India should play to their potential. As a cricketer, I would like us to play a good semi final, but as an Indian, I would like the team to win and play the final.
Toss may not have a bearing on victory. We can chase well too and Virat Kohli is the master at it. When we batted first, we posted big scores and when we chased, we did well. It will be the captain's performance which will matter. Babar Azam couldn't handle the pressure of captaincy and it has affected his batting as well.
Q: What would you say about the recent rise of Indian bowling?
A: If we look at the last two years, Shami, Siraj, and our spinners have been performing very well. Bumrah is seaming the ball in and out after returning from injury, and only New Zealand seamers Trent Boult and Matt Henry have managed to pull off the same. With the arrival of Bumrah, our bowling is looking very good. Bumrah has been successful in restricting the opposition batters in the first few overs. Also, fielding has helped our bowling performance incredibly well. Both teams are well-balanced. Only the one who will control his nerves will win that day. I want India to win.
Q: Do you credit workload management for the Indian team's success?
A: The topic is not to be discussed. I have seen no one playing from bench strength. When Yashasvi Jaiswal or Rutraj Gaikwad enters the fray, we say that it is due to workload management.
Q: As Virat Kohli is 35 years old, how much cricket is left in him?
A: Age is just a number. If you have the hunger to score runs, your body language depicts it. Big players decide their own retirement. There will be a huge vacuum after Williamson, Root, Kohli, and Smith retire as they are technically good and have brilliant longevity. They all have around 125 centuries in combination. The cricket world will miss all of them after they hang their boots.
Q: Who can fit in the shoes of Virat Kohli?
A: After the retirement of Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanath, India got big players like Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. Now, there is Virat Kohli. Every era has big players. The Indian Premier League has made cricket a big sport. Players are now playing till the age of 42 or 44 and no one can replace the big players.
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