Photo: Associate Press
HIGHLIGHTS
- India take on New Zealand in the 1st semi-final of World Cup 2019
- India coach Ravi Shastri said the team will not change its approach
- India reached the semi-final after topping the group table with 15 points from 9 matches
India take on New Zealand in the 1st semi-final and are being touted as favourites to reach their 2nd World Cup final of the decade.
Virat Kohli's men finished on the top of the 10-team points table with 15 points, 4 more than New Zealand who scraped through to the last-four. New Zealand and Pakistan were tied on points but the Black Caps managed to reach the semi-final due to their better net run rate.
Speaking to the International Cricket Council on the eve of the big-ticket semi-final, Ravi Shastri said India's familiarity of New Zealand will help them in the semi-final.
Notably, India thrashed New Zealand 4-1 in an ODI series in New Zealand earlier this year.
"We have played against them quite a bit as well. We toured New Zealand and they were in India some time ago. They know what to expect, we also know what to expect," Ravi Shastri said.
There was certainly no lack of confidence in either camp ahead of the v semi-final in Manchester #TeamIndia | #BackTheBlackCaps | #CWC19pic.twitter.com/8C3iG7q9pZCricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 9, 2019
The Indian head coach added that India have been treating every game at World Cup 2019 with equal importance and their approach won't change just because it's a semi-final match on Tuesday.
"We treat every game as a new game. Opposition doesn't matter. Our job is to get out there and do our jobs. As an individual and as a team," Ravi Shastri added.
"You might call it a semi-final, for us it's just another game. Do what you have been doing... you don't have to anything different just because it's a semi-final. Stick to what you have been doing... what happens after that will happen."
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