9 November - Bengaluru - New Zealand player Trent Boult post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
Well played today, saved your best for the last and produced a near perfect performance.
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, satisfied to obviously get the win, get two very crucial points. I thought with the ball we were put under a bit of pressure, but we stuck to the plans we put in place and it's nice to be on the right side of it.
[Reporter:]
Just with the bowling, the last four games the bowling group has come under a bit of pressure with regards to big totals being scored, but the way you all responded today was quite brilliant and pretty much everybody putting their hand up when it mattered.
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, we seem to have a lot of meetings and discussions about what will be successful or what will be tricky to hit. But yeah, just speaking on this game specifically, clinical, and nice to get the result.
[Reporter:]
It's not yet set in stone, but it looks like a repeat of the 2019 semi-final. If there's one team India don't like facing in knockouts, it's the Black Caps your thoughts on that game coming up?
[Trent Boult:]
I can't speak on what they're thinking but from our point of view to play World Cup in India and to come up against the host nation a team that's red hot playing good cricket at a great ground - you couldn't script it any better. So excited if that happens, I feel like we've done all we can from our point of view and yeah, we'll just wait and see what happens.
[Reporter:]
Last one for me safe to say you'll be cheering on England in their next game?
[Trent Boult:]
Personally?
[Reporter:]
You must have seen a lot of Dilshan Madhushanka as a left arm seamer and you being a very experienced left armer, any word on the young kid?
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, followed him throughout this tournament Yeah, exceptional talent good skills Yeah, he's obviously got the toolbox to adapt in these conditions and that's probably the key to success over here is being able to read the wicket and use your skills accordingly and I think he's done that phenomenally throughout the World Cup so far and that's the reason why he's at the top of the wicket tally so it's been good to watch.
[Reporter:]
Trent, you're likely to face India in the semi-finals. Having played them before, what are the takeaways from Dharamshala and do you think New Zealand playing at Wankhede helps New Zealand in some ways?
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, played India a lot of times. Quality players, know these conditions very well. Yeah, hard to comment on what the conditions will be at Wankhede, but you know, history suggests it's a good wicket and, yeah, nice to have come up against them in Dharamshala. Totally different ground and different facilities, but, yeah, we'll turn our focus to that challenge. Very, very good players, but pressure does things to the best of players at any time. So just look forward to taking that on.
[Reporter:]
The power play kind of period, you managed to get quite a few wickets, which hasn't necessarily been the case right through the campaign for New Zealand. We're used to seeing New Zealand do better in that stage than they have at times as World Cup. What was different today, conditions wise and just for you and for the bowling group, the wider bowling group in that period?
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, personally I like to see the ball swinging around and moving in the air. To be honest, it hasn't really done that much throughout this World Cup. And it almost took me back to my younger days when you're playing ODI cricket for the first time, the first question you have to ask yourself is, do you keep trying to swing the ball or go to plan B as quick as you can and might have been a little bit quicker on that this afternoon here with a couple of wickets in the power play. But yeah, conditions change right throughout the country and it's always the hardest thing to read the wicket and what's going to happen. And some days we've come up against some good batters, some positive stroke play and it's just been how it is.
[Reporter:]
Just a few days ago, it seemed like a different wicket. What was so different between bowling to Pakistan and today?
[Trent Boult:]
It did feel like a different weekend, to be honest. It was a touch slower today. I think Mitchell Santner bowl 10 overs for 15 runs or something like that. Yeah, proved that it was a pretty tricky surface. But yeah, the difference with the other night was we came across a Pakistan side that were in a hurry really. It was an interesting game but we parked that, learned from it and I thought we put those learnings in place quite nicely this afternoon.
[Reporter:]
Just an extension of one of the previous questions, like the prospect of facing India at Wankhede and at that ground the new ball has done a bit and the counterattacking cricket Indian batters are playing against the new ball. Do you think that will give you a chance as well, the counter-attacking approach of the Indian team?
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, as I said earlier, very good players. They're playing a positive style of cricket and yeah, I suppose playing shots does present chances - but yeah, we're going to be very clear with how we're going to tackle that that game if it happens still has to be ticked off but yeah, I think there'll be a lot of excitement and the prospect of that challenge and like I said it doesn't get any bigger than taking on India in front of 1.5 billion people. Yeah, it's very exciting.
[Reporter:]
If New Zealand qualifies, according to the last few results, it will be the fifth consecutive semi-final for New Zealand. How pleased are you all as a playing group coming into this fifth semi-final?
[Trent Boult:]
Yeah, I think our brand of ODI cricket has put us in good stead to be honest. We're a team that don't get too far ahead of ourselves. We quickly reflect, review the games, and move on and try to challenge ourselves as best as possible. And I think in World Cup cricket, when it comes down to must-win games, we've got a lot of experience in the squad and I thought we used that nicely over the last few games and yes, we have lost a few in a row there against the top of the table kind of oppositions but yeah, very pleasing to put in the performance here we did and a must-win game for us.
[Reporter:]
2015 World Cup you had a good campaign, I mean individually had a good campaign, 2019 good campaign, 2020 so you have reached the 50 landmark, you've become the first Kiwi person also to achieve it - your thoughts on that.
[Trent Boult:]
Very proud, not something that I was ever targeting, but yeah, everyone loves World Cup cricket. Everyone wants to play against the best players and test their game out. Yeah, I've been very fortunate to have three campaigns in the ODI shares and, yeah, nice to be contributing. I've enjoyed playing with all the guys here. I've got very good friends in the team and, you know, we really help each other out. So nice to bring up 50 this afternoon and yeah, hopefully a few more.
