Kane Williamson emphasized that New Zealand must learn from the defeat they suffered against India in the group stage when the two teams come to face each other in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday. New Zealand entered the finals in Dubai with an emphatic 50-run victory over South Africa in the semi-final in Lahore, with Williamson and Rachin Ravindra both scoring centuries. The duo set up New Zealand’s 362-6, the highest total in the tournament’s history, before Mitchell Santner (3-43) spearheaded an effective spin attack that helped restrict South Africa to 312-9.
Williamson was hopeful that the loss by 44 runs to India in Dubai last Sunday had opened opportunities to rectify New Zealand’s mistakes.
“India are an outstanding team and are playing really well,” Williamson said.
“So, look, it’s important we try and take away some learnings from that last game. Park this match, and in a final, anything can happen.
“And it was a great atmosphere last game, and I’m sure it’ll be a good one again.”
Williamson lamented that conditions in Dubai, which has so far witnessed India’s highest score of 267-6, in a semifinal win against Australia, are in stark contrast to conditions in Pakistan, with over 300 on eight occasions.
“The conditions are different, so it’s important that we tried to take away some of those positives and be nice and clear in how we are trying to operate the final,” Williamson said.
New Zealand are out to win another title, having previously lifted the trophy in Kenya in 2000, their only major white-ball title in the men’s game.
“Yeah, it would be good, wouldn’t it?” Williamson said. “Obviously, it was a long time ago, and a great victory for our country.
“Tonight, we’ll celebrate, but we’ll divert our focus quite quickly to this next match, which is an exciting opportunity for us.”
Williamson hailed the innings from Ravindra, who has scored five ODI hundreds, all of them in ICC events.
“Rachin is an incredibly special talent. One could only imagine it would have been great batting with him. He goes out and he puts the team first and he plays with that freedom.”
Williamson went on to praise Santner, captain of New Zealand, who has seven wickets to his name in the tournament.
“He’s an outstanding operator, a great reader of the game and of batsmen, and he’s done it for so many years now,” he says.
“He’s a world-class spinner and a big part of our attack and obviously the leader of our team now too.”
Download the CricInformer app
Take CricInformer with you. Get our app for cricket news and updates on your phone.