India have beaten West Indies by five wickets to book their spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. England, New Zealand, and South Africa will join them in the semi-finals.
Samson Shines in India’s Victory
Sanju Samson starred to help India chase down West Indies in the showdown for semi-finals. India captain Suryakumar Yadav said good things happen to good people who wait, and that it’s all Sanju Samson’s hard work. Yadav noted what Samson has been doing behind closed doors when he’s not been playing, and said he’s got the fruit of it on this stage. According to Yadav, the way Samson batted took the side to victory.
Yadav stated that it was a do-or-die game, like a quarter-final, and he felt the boys showed great character. He added that everyone bowled according to the plan. Yadav said they knew 200 was a good score to chase at Eden Gardens with the dew, and the ball came onto the bat nicely. He also noted the way the batters responded later on with the small partnerships, which was key to taking the game deep.
Yadav on Reaching the Semi-Finals
Suryakumar Yadav expressed his happiness at reaching the semi-finals. He believes the team deserved their spot in the semi-finals due to the way they’ve played from the first game. Yadav said they won’t think about it right now, and will rest, relax, and take a flight, and start thinking about it when they reach Mumbai.
Yadav acknowledged that expectations will always be there. He said that you should know what you want to do on the field. Yadav relayed that he told the boys that there will be pressure and expectation from people coming to the ground or watching back home, but when a game like this comes, you have to be courageous, bring your A-game, put your best foot forward, and take a positive option. He thinks they were quite good in taking that.
Yadav added, “If there’s no pressure, there’s no fun.”
West Indies’ Perspective
West Indies captain Shai Hope felt they could have gone a bit more in the back end of their batting innings. Hope gave the guys credit for their effort with the ball, but noted [Sanju] Samson had a great knock. He gave credit to Samson.
Hope thought their bowling performance was good, and they adjusted and adapted to the conditions nicely. He said they took a lot of wickets in the powerplay, and the spinners did a great job. Hope summarised that all around, the bowlers were great but they did not get over the line.
Looking Ahead
The first semi-final will be between South Africa and New Zealand. It will take place on Wednesday at 13:30 GMT.