Wins & Losses Are a Part of Life: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to India’s semi-final exit from the World Cup, and said he was impressed with the fighting spirit the team showed in the nail-biting contest against New Zealand.
Kane Williamson: It Was a Game of Small Margins
“A tough game, tough semifinal and really pleased to be on the right side of things,” says winning captain Kane Williamson.
“They showed why they are a world class side when they took it really deep to a position where they could have won it through MS and Jadeja. Our character was tested and we came out on top.”Kane Williamson
“We've seen conditions be really tricky at times and in some games, we didn't play our best cricket but guys weren't disheartened and backed ourselves. On a particular day, anything can happen and it was a game of small margins. Pleased to come across the line.”
Virat Kohli: NZ Deserve to Go Into Final
“I think the first half we were very very good with the ball in the field. We thought we had restricted New Zealand to a very chase-able total. But the way they bowled in the first half an hour made all the difference,” says losing captain Virat Kohli.
“The credit has to go to the New Zealand bowlers. It’s the skill level that was on display for everyone, and it made life very difficult for the Indian batsmen.”
“Always feel disappointed when you’ve played such good cricket, and then 45 minutes of bad cricket puts you out of the tournament. It’s difficult to accept, it’s difficult to come to terms with, but New Zealand deserve it because they put enough pressure on us. They were far more sharper when it came to the crunch moments.”Virat Kohli on India’s Semi-final Loss
“New Zealand showed more composure than us, and they were braver in crunch situations so they deserve to go into the final.”
On Jadeja’s knock: Jaddu had an outstanding couple of games. The way he played today was a great sign for his skill set and what he can do for the team. Just going out with so much clarity and turning the game around was outstanding to see. MS had a good partnership with him.
Player of the Match: Matt Henry
Kiwi bowler Matt Henry gets the Player of the Match award for his 3/37 in 10 overs.
“We knew we had to create pressure against that batting line-up but we also knew that this was a difficult wicket to bat on and it was holding up a little bit. We brought ourselves on and if we could create a few early chances, anything could happen.”Matt Henry
"Hardik and Dhoni, the way they batted with Jadeja to come in, we know they are world-class finishers. We needed to finish off well and get them out before it went too deep. Very special to earn ourselves a Lords final, thanks to all the New Zealand supporters out there. We are looking forward to the final.”