NZ’s Ferguson says ‘we all start from zero’ in India semi-final

MUMBAI: Lockie Ferguson insisted New Zealand´s rocky road to a World Cup semi-final against in-form India in Mumbai on Wednesday was of no concern as “we all start from zero again”.

Tournament hosts India have been the form side of the 10-team event, winning all nine of their group matches, as they bid for a third World Cup title and second on home soil following their 2011 final triumph over Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

New Zealand by contrast, won their opening four games of the round-robin stage only to lose the next four before ending pool play with a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka.

The Blackcaps may not have yet won a men´s one-day international World Cup but they are proven tournament performers, having reached both the 2015 and 2019 finals, with Wednesday´s match their ninth semi-final appearance in the 13-edition history of the competition.

“We had a couple of close games I guess that didn´t quite go our way,” New Zealand fast bowler Ferguson told reporters at Mumbai´s Wankhede Stadium on Monday. “And a rain-affected one (where New Zealand were beaten on the DLS method by Pakistan despite scoring over 400 themselves).”

He added: “But I guess from our point of view those nine games have got us to this position and we kind of all start from zero again. So come Wednesday, it´ll be a good challenge.” India have steamrollered several opponents on their way to a last-four clash at captain Rohit Sharma´s home ground.