It was great to see New Zealand coach John Wright after the game against South Africa in Mirpur and he must be really happy with the way his team has played till now.
As the Kiwis take on Sri Lanka in the first semifinal at Colombo, the coach has every reason to feel happy, as his team has achieved something special. It's also an example for others to follow - that if you keep working hard and improving in every aspect of life, you can only get better.
But the Kiwis will have to improve their performance a couple of notches if they hope to get past the in-form Sri Lanka in their backyard. The Lankans had smashed England in the quarters. A lot of people thought England had the advantage in the game after they won the toss, but that was not to be.
A score of 229 was not great by any standard and England suffered. The biggest reason why three sub-continental teams are in the last-four stage is because they have dominated spin. Besides, teams from the sub-continent have always looked to hit boundaries, especially in powerplays. That's the reason why they have never come under pressure at any stage and have always looked to have momentum in their innings.
To beat the Lankans, Vettori and his boys will need to do that - get the momentum in run scoring. New Zealand will need to play fearless cricket as they have nothing to lose.
{{/usCountry}}To beat the Lankans, Vettori and his boys will need to do that - get the momentum in run scoring. New Zealand will need to play fearless cricket as they have nothing to lose.
{{/usCountry}}Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are in tremendous form. But, I am sure the seniors in the team will not take things lightly. Sri Lanka will be keen to have Murali on the ground, as it is his last international tournament.
Sri Lanka will also need to keep doing what they have done in previous games, while the Kiwis will need to take on the Lankan spinners head on.
PMG