New Zealand and India will clash in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2023 which will be played in Mumbai on November 15. And ahead of the knockout tie, Kiwi opener Devon Conway lauded the Men in Blue team’s performance so far.
India finished the league stage of CWC 2023 undefeated, winning all nine matches. However, New Zealand, who finished fourth in the points table after the 45-match league round, has a dominant record against India in the knockout stage of ICC events.
New Zealand defeated India in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup and 2021 World Test Championship final as well.
But Devon Conway, who has extensive experience of playing in India due to the Indian Premier League, lauded the Indian team’s performance in the World Cup thus far.
"We all know how good India are. They are carrying a lot of momentum (and) they have a strong squad. But we are looking forward to that challenge. It is exciting for us to play against the host nation in the semifinal. We know they are going to be a threat, but we are looking forward to that challenge,” Conway said in a video shared by New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
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"We can acknowledge this is another special occasion for us. We are fortunate enough to have a lot of experience in our camp - guys who have been in these situations before. We can lean on those guys and it is very exciting as I can say," the opening batter added.
New Zealand have lost four out of their last five games but the Kiwis are focused on making it to the final. New Zealand made it to the finals in the last two CWC editions, losing to Australia and England.
"It is one of our goals to be in the World Cup final. It is nice to be one step closer to that goal, everyone is very excited. We've been playing some good cricket. For us, it's about continuing to do what we do. The rest will take care of itself," he added.
Conway's form will be scrutinized because the left-handed batter has yet to reach fifty after scoring an undefeated 152 against England in the first game.
He said, "It has been very exciting. With it being my first ODI World Cup, there have been quite a lot of challenges in a different format. I have certainly thoroughly enjoyed my time here with the guys. We have played some really good cricket. It is exciting to be in this position."
Conway called Rachin Ravindra a 'popular young man in the team', given that he has scored 565 runs in the ongoing World Cup 2023.
"It has been fantastic for Rachin. We all know how good a player he is. For him to stand up in a world event like this is spectacular. A lot of credit goes to him for the performances that he has put in and we hope that he continues to do so down the line for us. He is a very popular young man in the team (and) he has received quite a lot of attention, externally as well," he added.
(PTI inputs)
