Kane Williamson, 102, on New Zealand facing India in Champions Trophy final after South Africa win

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Kane Williamson, 102, on New Zealand facing India in Champions Trophy final after South Africa win  05/03/2025  icc Champions trophy

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00:00Ken, today you and Rachan, that partnership, if you could take us through what are the

00:06conversations like, because you lost early wicket and then was it just another case of

00:12knowing the conditions too well, like having played here for the last few weeks, so did

00:17that help?

00:19Yeah, we've had some experience here which was nice and it is a high scoring ground historically

00:29but the wicket was used when we just wanted to try and get in on it and then with the

00:37speed of the outfield and the even pace of the wicket once you'd spent some time out

00:43there meant that we were able to build that partnership and try and increase the run rate

00:51throughout the innings and the guys coming in that obviously come out and play a few

00:56shots so it was a great all-round team performance today.

01:01Ken, congratulations.

01:04You scored 100 here against South Africa in that try series.

01:07You called that pitch really good, very good for batting, especially during that afternoon

01:13session when you were batting here as well again.

01:15Was this a similar wicket to that one?

01:21I think that last game the batting conditions were outstanding and I think this was also

01:27a good pitch but you did get the sense that the cutters and things were holding a little

01:33bit more but still a very good pitch for batting and I think it just took a little bit more

01:38time to start and get a rhythm and once we were able to do that and try and put South

01:43Africa under a little bit of pressure, they're a formidable team and they've got match winners

01:49throughout so it was nice we were able to get some good partnerships together in that

01:52first innings knowing that regardless of how many we got it was always going to be a tough

01:59job in that second innings they've got such a strong batting line-up too so some really

02:04good contributions throughout.

02:06Congratulations on reaching another ICC final firstly.

02:10Secondly, you've already played one match against India in the way and you know the

02:13conditions better than South Africa probably because they hadn't played over there.

02:17So what differently would New Zealand do as a team while playing against India in the

02:21final and how's that different from the special that you have played on?

02:25Yeah, definitely the conditions are a lot different but you know that's sort of the

02:32nature of the beast I think in any tournament that you have conditions change a little bit

02:36throughout and you know for us it was nice to have that last match against India, there's

02:47some really good bits there, India are an outstanding team and playing really well so

02:54for us it's important we just, they know this place well, they're everywhere and yeah so

03:08look it's important we try and take away some learnings from that last game, part this match

03:13a final, anything can happen and you know it was a great atmosphere last game and I'm

03:17sure it'll be a good one again.

03:21It seems like South Africa is your favourite opponent to bat against, you scored three

03:29consecutive ODI centuries against them, so any specific reason behind that?

03:34In ODIs?

03:36Yes, ODIs, three centuries, you scored three consecutive centuries against South Africa.

03:42Yeah, no I don't think so, you know my focus is just trying to go out and do the job for

03:50the team, I'm not totally aware of those numbers, I think there are probably large gaps in between

03:58yeah, so you know it's just trying to build partnerships, try and make contributions for

04:03the side and I think everybody sort of shares in that focus and I guess we bring it back

04:09today and it was a great sort of all round team performance but knowing that we park it now

04:16and we look forward to the next one in quite different conditions against a different opposition.

04:21Your captain Mitch is bowling excellent in Pakistan, what do you think the secret behind

04:28this good bowling in Pakistan?

04:30Yeah, he's an outstanding operator, a great reader of the game and of batsmen and he's

04:38done it for so many years now and so you know the way he changes his pace I think is key,

04:44we saw that when you did sort of take the pace off it did react a little bit, so we saw it turn

04:52every now and again which was probably a little bit different to the previous games that we had

04:55here but you know he's a world class spinner and a big part of our attack and obviously the

05:02leader of our team now too.

05:05Well Kane, you have a stellar record and you have scored another ton tonight, I would like to ask

05:12you about this young guy, Rachin Ravindra, the way he was playing with you, what was going on

05:18between you guys, what you were suggesting him or what you were telling him, just calm down and

05:24play your natural innings because it's really important a senior pro is joining a junior guy

05:31and playing well, so how do you see his talent? Secondly, probably this is your last ICC

05:40Champions Trophy, this is my thinking, so would you like to end this Champions Trophy on a very

05:50high note against India?

05:52Yeah, regardless of whether it's my last or not, that would be nice, wouldn't it? It's a final

05:57so it's exciting. We go back to Rachin, an incredibly special talent, it's always great to bat

06:06with him and he goes out and he puts the team first and he plays with that freedom and when we were

06:14out there batting together there were moments where there were some good spells and it was a little

06:20bit challenging, we tried to feed off each other and keep each other focused on the job and he's

06:28so gifted, really, really confident, clear in what he's trying to do and we've seen it on so many

06:34occasions and in big tournaments where he's stood up and shown and we've seen it here again in this

06:41one and hopefully he can continue that moving forward into this next match but a special talent,

06:48not only that but contribution with the ball too and we missed him while he had his little injury

06:54for a while there but just took a couple of weeks off and came back and is batting beautifully so

06:59great to watch, best seat in the house at the other end for sure.

07:03Hi Cain, everyone is talking about that India has an advantage because they are playing on the same

07:07venue, I will not ask you on behalf of the New Zealand Cricket Board but what Cain Williamson is

07:13thinking that either the ICC should have been scheduled more properly or it's good for you?

07:19It is what it is, our focus is the next match, the location of that match, the opposition are all

07:28factors, obviously we played India once there, the conditions are different so it's important that we

07:36try and take away some of those positives and be nice and clear on how we're trying to operate come

07:42two or three days' time in the finals. It's the nature of it and we're looking forward to the final

07:50and excited about it.

07:51Do you think India will have an advantage for the final on 9th March?

07:56I suppose having played there on a number of occasions there's real clarity on how they want to

08:01operate. A little bit like our opportunity here having played a number of times at this venue as

08:07well and I think that's part and parcel in cricket. It's just not something we're really looking too

08:16closely at, it's about the cricket that we want to play and take into account obviously the

08:21opposition but be nice and smart come that final.

08:26Before the last encounter between New Zealand and India you guys have faced each other back in 2000

08:33Champions Trophy final and New Zealand won that final against India, so you will be facing India a

08:39second time in the Champions Trophy in the final match, so are we going to see the same result which

08:44we have seen back in 2000?

08:47Yeah, it'd be good wouldn't it? Obviously it was a long time ago and a great victory for our country

08:54but here now lots of things are different and like I say we'll celebrate tonight but we'll be changing

09:04our focus quickly to this next match which is an exciting opportunity for us.

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