22 October - Dharamsala - New Zealand player Daryl Mitchell post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
Tough luck today, but at the halfway stage was there a feeling that maybe you guys had left a few runs out there?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
No, look I think you know we set the platform there at that sort of 35 over mark, I think it was very similar to what India were at that stage and obviously we knew that India's got a world-class death-bowling unit and for us it was trying to cash in at the end and I thought the way India bowled was pretty special obviously. Shami got the rewards but also Bumrah, the way they and Siraj, the way they took wickets and that 40 overs sort of probably held us back a little bit but we also knew that if we could have taken wickets early and as we showed through the middle, keep trying to apply pressure then we'll take the game deep and we'll do a black cap still and keep fighting to the end and you never know.
[Reporter:]
Talk to us a bit about your innings, you went in there at 19 for 2, what was going on through your mind and what were the conversations like with Rachin?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
Yeah, it was awesome back with Rach, he's obviously in a rich form at the moment and yeah, we were just having some fun out there and taking in what it is to be part of an amazing World Cup you know, to play at grounds like this and at crowds like this, it's pretty special for us Kiwis who live on the bottom of the earth.
So yeah, look, I guess trying to find ways to put pressure back on their bowlers and keep building partnerships and try and set a foundation so that we can try and go harder towards the end. And yeah, look, I think all in all we're really proud of the efforts that we put. Yeah, there are some things we want to do better, but I think it's going to bode well for the rest of the tournament.
[Reporter:]
You come up against a side which, you know, you pick up Rohit Sharma, you pick up Shubman Gill, but then there's somebody called Virat Kohli who just stands there and is immovable. I know you'll spend a bit of time planning and stuff like that, but what are the discussions when he's going and just making batting look so easy?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
He's a world class player and he'll go down as one of the greats of the game for a reason. A very good knock under pressure I thought and although he didn't get 100, he got his team across the line. But yeah, look for us as Kiwis, we'll just keep throwing punches, we'll keep trying different things and we'll keep trying to take wickets and I'm just really proud of our bowling unit tonight and how they tried to do that for periods of time and in conditions which probably got better with the dew with the wicket so yeah for us really proud of our efforts and we look forward to taking on the Aussies in just under a week's time.
[Reporter:]
Can you talk us through a little bit of your battle with Kuldeep Yadav, obviously took him down a little bit early, but he came back and bowled really well through the back end of his spell. Can you tell us what he was doing and what was your process of playing him?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
Oh yeah look I've known Kuldeep for a while now, he's a great man and we get on well off the field and yeah for me it's just keep trying to find ways to put pressure on their bowlers, it's not just him it's the same with every bowler that we come up against. It's trying to find ways to put pressure on them and also absorb when they're bowling really well and keep trying to, I guess, tick over and build that platform that we speak about. So, yeah, look, he's done really well over the last few years for India and it's awesome to see him have some success.
[Reporter:]
Yeah, I wanted to ask, I think as the game progressed, the pitch got better, right? Do you think the total was enough? And if the total was enough, do you think you need to work on the fifth bowling option?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
I think I answered that question pretty much before. Yeah, look, you obviously always want more runs, but at the same time I thought the platform that we set and the way we wanted to go about it was in true Black Caps style. So, for us, we'll just keep chipping in and we'll work on a few things, and we'll be good to go next time.
[Reporter:]
Daryl, very early on in the innings, you were very comfortable stepping out to Kuldeep. So, were you kind of assured that you are reading him well from the hand because wrist spinner stepping out, it could be a 50-50 proposition there in the middle. So how well were you reading him off the hand and did it kind of assure you to kind of just step out as early as you did to him?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
Look, I guess when you're playing anyone, it's about, again, trying to find ways to put pressure on them as well as accept that at times they're going to bowl well. And you come in with plans, you come up with ways you want to play different guys. And for me today, that was obviously an option that worked. Doesn't mean I'll do it next time. But yeah, look, it's just constantly trying to find ways to score runs and keep putting us in positions to win games of cricket.
[Reporter:]
[inaudible]
Were there any concerns around – in your camp regarding the outfield?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
This is a beautiful place to play cricket you can only look up at the mountains and it looks amazing and for us we’ve got standards within our Black Caps that you come and do everything you can to help us win games of cricket and part of that is diving on the boundary and stopping the ball when you get the chance and that's something we're proud of ourselves as Black Caps and we'll continue to do it no matter where we play in the world.
[Reporter:]
What was it like, you know when you were in the middle and the fog, and the mist stopped? Have you experienced it before? And what were the challenges? It's a fielder and a batter, were you able to see the ball? How was it?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
Yeah, look, it was strange, wasn't it? I have experienced it before in first class cricket in Karori Park in Wellington when the fog came in. So yeah, this game continues to provide wonderful things, doesn't it? It was an amazing experience, that's for sure.
[Reporter:]
There were a couple of drop catches by the Indians, you were dropped twice. Were you surprised to see them slip up on the field?
[Daryl Mitchell:]
It's the nature of the game. People are going to drop catches at times. As long as everyone's giving their all and doing their best, then that's all you can ask for. I think it's just part of the game that we've signed up for.