New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is ready for the spin challenge against India in the all-important final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday, March 9. The Kiwi skipper is expecting to be third time lucky against India in an ICC event final.
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00:00So, do you think that New Zealand will be third time lucky against India in the ICC
00:05event final?
00:06I mean, hopefully we're third time lucky, but no, I think, you know, we know India are
00:12going to be a challenge tomorrow, you know, they've been playing some very good cricket,
00:18they understand these conditions pretty well, but, you know, I think we've also been playing
00:23decent.
00:24Admittedly, obviously, slightly different conditions, but I think, obviously, having
00:28a run against India here a few days ago will definitely help us out, understanding the
00:33conditions a little bit better, but it is a knockout game, and I guess whoever turns
00:38up on the day could take home a trophy.
00:42All the best for tomorrow's final.
00:47My question to you is, how much did that defeat in the previous game would actually work,
00:54because India bowled really well and they had also played four spinners, would you be
00:58also tempted to play four spinners?
01:00Yeah, I think it was obviously a challenging game, India played, you know, very well.
01:07I think in terms of, you know, I think we'll take, you know, a bit of, you know, we did
01:12a lot of good stuff in that game, obviously we came up against a good side and on a spinning
01:17wicket, especially second inning, so we'll, you know, we'll learn from that, we know India
01:22are probably going to go in with the same team, so I guess we understand, and guys will,
01:26I guess, you know, be better for the run, but we know it's, you know, it might be a
01:32different surface, it might play exactly the same, so I think we have to be ready and be
01:37adaptable for, you know, what's coming, and yeah, I mean, it's a, like I said before,
01:44it's kind of a, just a one-off game, so whoever can turn up will be good.
01:52Yeah, yeah.
01:55It boils down to handling pressure, that's what they say, so talking about the final,
02:00have you learned any tricks from your captains you played under, like Kane or MS, some tricks
02:06to handle pressure for this type of final?
02:10Yeah, I think, I think, I guess throughout my career I've played under some very good
02:13captains, obviously for New Zealand and overseas.
02:17You know, I think it's easy to say that it's just another game, that's obviously not, but
02:24I think the way you approach it has to be the same.
02:30We've just, you know, we've been, we're doing a lot of good stuff this tournament, you know,
02:34we're just trying to progress and build on the things that we've been doing as a team
02:38and, you know, keep trying to take this team forward.
02:42It's, yeah, it's obviously on the bigger stage tomorrow, but I think, you know, the guys
02:46will go in with confidence, try and keep it pretty relaxed, an environment thing and
02:50just let the guys go out there and have some freedom and enjoy it.
02:54It's, you know, I guess it's, some guys have been there before, some guys are playing their
02:58first ICC event and to make it to a final, so it's, yeah, I think everyone's in different
03:03shoes but, yeah, I think, I guess from my point of view it's trying to just make it
03:08pretty relaxed, make it pretty calm and go out there and enjoy it and see what happens.
03:14Before I ask that, what's the update on Matt Henry?
03:17He wasn't, I've not seen him in the bus today at the practice session.
03:21He wasn't there also and is there any extra pressure on the video footage guys on Varun
03:27Chakravorty because he didn't bold a lot, you know, but you have played him, you know,
03:31in the IPL, although you saw him in the IPL.
03:33Is there any kind of extra pressure against Varun Chakravorty on video editor guys or
03:39and update on Matt?
03:41Yeah, so we're, we'll be going across the road in training after this and Matt's going
03:46to have a bowl just to see how he is.
03:49Yeah, and then I guess we'll make a call after that and then I guess on, yeah, I think guys
03:55will be better for the run against Varun.
03:57He's obviously a world class bowler, we've seen it here and obviously in the IPL and
04:01that little bit of mystery but it was, you know, the first time some of the guys have
04:05been facing him so I think, you know, they'll learn from the other day.
04:10You know, if the pitch plays a similar way it's going to be, it'll be a challenge along
04:15with, you know, all three of their other spinners so I think, yeah, boys will be ready for tomorrow
04:22and looked at a little bit more footage and, yeah, I think we obviously know what his threats
04:27are now, that 115k arm ball that got me, that was a bit of a threat but, yeah, we know he's
04:34going to be a challenge.
04:41Mitch, you'll be aware that David Miller said that he'd be supporting you guys tomorrow
04:47after the semi-final.
04:48India are obviously going to have a lot of fans supporting them here as well as elsewhere
04:53in the world but do you just sense at all that the wider cricketing world may be backing
04:57you?
05:00I don't know.
05:01I think, I guess you kind of build relationships with these guys, like I've played with Davey
05:06in a couple of tournaments and I guess that's the beauty of the franchise world is you get
05:11to see guys, you play against guys a lot but you get to, you know, share dressing rooms
05:16with some of the greats and a few of the boys on the circuit around the world so you get
05:21to form kind of good relationships with people and, yeah, I can't imagine there'll be too
05:25many black shirts out there tomorrow but, you know, I guess we have, I guess the country
05:31behind us, back at home, admittedly it's probably the middle of the night but, you know, if
05:36everyone can kind of skip work and then watch the cricket that'd be good.
05:42There's been much, there's been much documentation about the fact that you've, of course you've
05:45had to fly here twice, go straight into practice and weather's a little bit warmer so, you
05:53know, what are the energy levels in the team right now, what's the mindset, you've come
05:57off a strong win, so what's the mindset ahead of tomorrow's game?
06:00Yeah, I think it was a bit of a shock, they all jumped up ten degrees in the last four
06:05days for us but I think, you know, obviously coming off a semi-final win, the guys are
06:09in pretty good spirits, you know, but I guess and also ready for this challenge that is
06:15tomorrow on a wicket that, you know, will play obviously a little bit different to Lahore
06:20but, yeah, I think, you know, we'll get a good run around tonight and then, you know,
06:25obviously yesterday was a good day to recover for the boys and then, yeah, we'll be hopefully
06:30firing and ready to go by tomorrow.
06:34Mitch, it's not often in New Zealand's history that we've seen the kind of variety in the
06:39spinners you have, you have four different world-class spinners, everyone offers something
06:43different, is this the best spinner type that you've seen or you've played with?
06:49That's probably the most spinners we've had, yeah.
06:52Yeah, I think, like what you said, I think everyone offers, you know, something different
06:57with the ball, I guess, you know, me and Rutchin bowl differently and so do Bracewell and Phillips.
07:02I think having, I guess, you know, a few all-rounders as well makes it, the balance of the side,
07:08you know, good, we can still play the same as if we need to and, yeah, I think that the
07:14way everyone's kind of stepped up at different times this tournament's been, you know, I
07:18guess one of the most pleasing things.
07:20We've seen, you know, Phillips do it with a bat and in the field but, you know, he's
07:25obviously taken some pretty key wickets this tournament and, obviously, Rutchin's spell
07:29the other day was awesome as well.
07:31So, yeah, I know we've got, obviously, a few spin options and so do India, so we'll see.
07:39Mitch, New Zealand in recent times have been always in the business end of tournaments
07:43but you've not been able to clear the final hurdle.
07:46Just tell me, like, how important a win for this will do for the cricketing ecosystem
07:50back home, especially now you've lost someone like, the experience, like, Saudi and Bolt.
07:55So, for inspiring the next generation of New Zealand cricketers, how important a big white
08:00ball win will do for New Zealand cricket?
08:05Yeah, I mean, it'll be nice.
08:07I think, yeah, I think, obviously, going into this tournament we had a bit of a tough start
08:12with a few injuries but I think the, you know, the mix of experience and then a few
08:16younger boys in this group is, you know, I think we're, you know, I think all we asked
08:21for at the start was, you know, all buy into a, you know, a way of how we want to approach
08:26cricket on and off the field and, you know, we've been playing some good cricket and,
08:31you know, may it continue but, yeah, I think, you know, you have to just try to treat it
08:38as another chance against a very good opposition.
08:42Yeah, I mean, you get to the business ends of these tournaments and, you know, your first
08:47goal was to make playoffs but, you know, going to a final it's whoever can kind of stand
08:52up on the day and, yeah, I think the way we kind of go about it is not trying to get,
08:59I guess, overruled by the occasion, you know, and that's kind of done with the guys in the
09:06group, the support staff and everyone kind of around it trying to keep it pretty relaxed
09:10but also know that we have to put in a good shift tomorrow and then let's see what happens.
09:23India's batters are also good players of spin bowling and, you know, you've achieved a fair
09:28bit of success against them especially in the Test match in Pune last year.
09:32So, generally, what are your plans when you bowl to them?
09:34I mean, Shersar is a good player of spin, Virat is hugely experienced and, you know,
09:39so how do you go about tackling India's batters generally?
09:43Yeah, I think it's, you know, we obviously have our plans for most players but I think
09:47it's, I guess, it's kind of dictated on the surface a little bit.
09:51I think we talk about a lot as a unit is, you know, adapting as quick as we can to what
09:56pace and what works on that surface.
10:01I guess the other night it was a little bit of a change of pace being a little bit slow
10:05off the surface.
10:06I felt like you had to really get it into a good length for a period of time against
10:11good players and try, I guess, build pressure through dots and false shots.
10:15But, and then I guess we saw in the second innings where there was a little bit more
10:19turn.
10:20I think as a bowler it kind of makes it a little bit easier.
10:23You just kind of, you know, bowl that ball the same spot for a long time and hopefully
10:29one might skid.
10:30So I think, you know, we speak about a lot as bowling partnerships, not just spinners,
10:34obviously as seamers and trying to, I guess, build the pressure through the middle with
10:39dots.
10:40And, you know, we know these guys are very good players of spin.
10:43So trying to, you know, whether it's slightly different fields, whether it's a variation
10:47of pace, trying to get wickets through, I guess, pressure versus I don't think it'll
10:52be a wicket where, you know, you're going to spin any teams out, especially if they're
10:56good players of spin.
10:58Yeah, Mitchell here.
10:59No matter what happened the other night, is it fair to say that New Zealand have among
11:03the best players of spin in the middle order in this tournament?
11:06And if that is the case, how much confidence does it give you?
11:11Yeah, I think, you know, I think we were challenged, especially in the middle overs through spin.
11:17I think we, you know, were hanging in there for a good period of time.
11:20And then, you know, I think if you can, I think when you see like you lose wickets
11:25and clumps, it's obviously tough to come back from, I think.
11:29But, you know, I think the credits are all for their spinners the other night.
11:33They all bowled, you know, extremely well.
11:35Obviously, Varun took most of the treats.
11:37But I think, you know, the way Aksar and Jadeja denied us for a long time.
11:41And so it might be, it might be something similar again on a slow wicket where it's,
11:47you know, if you can kind of just rotate and hit the odd bad ball away, get yourself up
11:52to a decent score.
11:53And then, and then I guess on the flip side of us with the ball, it's the same.
11:57It's trying to build pressure for a long period of time and produce kind of a false shot.
12:01But yeah, I think through the middle, like you said, we've got some good players of spin
12:06and it's, you know, it's about them trying to just play their games and whether it's
12:10get your broom out and sweep or it's, you know, use your feet or I guess we kind of
12:15give our players the freedom to play their own way.
12:20Yeah.
12:21Yeah.
12:22Mitch, this has been an interesting venue when it comes to how the ball behaves and
12:26lights.
12:27In some of the matches we have seen the ball was to slow it or slow down, the wicket slowed
12:31down.
12:32But in the last game against Australia, I've seen ball was coming onto that fairly well.
12:35India have lost all the four tosses, but they have managed to win all four matches.
12:39So just wanted to, is it a good toss to lose at this particular venue?
12:44Well, it looks like a good toss to lose for Robert because they keep winning.
12:47But yeah, I think even our pitch played slightly different to the semifinal wicket.
12:55So I think it's just, it's whatever you end up doing, you just have to do it well
12:59for a period of time.
13:00I think Aussie, you know, we're probably on track to score a few more runs, but you
13:05know, they keep trying to take wickets through the middle and then India were able to squeeze
13:09them back to that kind of 260.
13:11And then, yeah, I guess the master of a chase, Coley, kind of helped that out.
13:17So I think it's whatever you end up doing, it's trying to do it well for obviously a
13:21long period of time.
13:22And yeah, hopefully it's, if we win a toss, we'll see what happens.
13:26But yeah, I think we've kind of got to be ready for it to be either very similar to
13:32our game or a little bit different.
13:34So, and it's finding out what works with both bat and ball for a long time.
13:39Mitch, given the conditions here, there may not be a 350 here and you guys have played
13:45the Indian spinners already.
13:47And also most of you or maybe all of you have played test cricket.
13:51So that should help negotiate the Indian spinners and play like that technique.
13:59Yeah, I think we, again, it's, I think we have to kind of go in with an open mind of
14:04how the pitch will play.
14:07And then adjust accordingly, get those comms back to the groups, what you think a good
14:14score is.
14:16Yeah, I think we obviously, it could be a 300 wicket.
14:21We don't know, I guess yet, but it could also be a 250 kind of winning score.
14:25So it's, and that's, I think you can obviously, you can lose the game in the power play with
14:32the bat.
14:33But, you know, I think we've seen throughout this tournament, if you can kind of, you know,
14:37guys can come back from, if they keep wickets in hand and then you can really set up a death
14:41phase with the bat.
14:43So I think, you know, there will be periods throughout this game on both sides where you're
14:46under pressure for a period of time.
14:48But if you can kind of withstand that and get through it, you know, it might get easier.
14:53So that's, you know, I guess what we can hope for, especially the batters.
14:56It's, you know, if India are going to bowl well in periods and it's just trying to withstand
15:02that the best you can and then finding a time to put the pressure back on their bowlers.