By Amlan Chakraborty in Kolkata
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner wants his team to piece together their first “perfect game” of the T20 World Cup when they face in-form South Africa in Wednesday’s semifinal at Eden Gardens in Kolkata (3.30pm SA time) with a wound fresh in their minds.
The Proteas remain the tournament’s only unbeaten team and their seven wins in a row include a seven-wicket thumping of New Zealand in the group stage.
While that loss still rankled, Santner said the familiarity bred from that clash left little room for surprises.
“We haven’t probably played the perfect game throughout this tournament. I guess that’s a good thing for us,” he said on Tuesday.
“I guess we can put it all together, put us in a pretty good position.
“I think there’s no real hiding or secrets about what South Africa are going to bring for us. We know they’re going to probably roll out the same team; they probably know what we’re going to do as well.”
Having played all three Super Eights games in Sri Lanka, New Zealand are wary of how the pitch at the Eden Gardens will behave and are braced to adjust.
While 2024 runners-up South Africa appear more balanced on paper, Santner said the contest will hinge on who reads conditions fastest.
“It’s all up to the surface and adapting as quick as we can, they have kind of all bases covered. That’s why they’re undefeated.”
Both teams are chasing a first men’s white-ball World Cup and Santner promised a full-throttle effort to reach Sunday’s final.
“We know the heartbreak of South Africa two years ago. I think again, they’re playing some very good cricket, as they’ve shown throughout this tournament.”
“We know South Africa are going to be a threat, as they’ve shown.
“We’re just going to go there and try to put some pressure on them at different stages of the game, and they’re going to do the same for us.”
New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry, who had returned home on paternity leave, will rejoin the squad on Tuesday night and Santner could not confirm if he would play in the semifinal.
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