India are carrying a lot of momentum; they have a strong squad, says Devon Conway

Mumbai, Nov 13 (IANS) New Zealand opener Devon Conway believes hosts India are carrying a lot of momentum and possess a strong squad ahead of the upcoming semi-final meeting between the two teams in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

"We all know how good India are. They're carrying a lot of momentum, they have a strong squad. But we're looking forward to that challenge. It's exciting for us to play against the host nation in the semi-final. We know they're going to be a threat, but we're looking forward to that challenge," said Conway in a chat with New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

New Zealand have been a consistent side in terms of entering World Cup knockouts. They were semi-finalists in the 2011 World Cup, before being runners-up in 2015 and 2019 editions. Their big challenge in the semi-final, in what is a re-match of the 2019 World Cup last-four meeting, will be against an unbeaten Indian team.

Conway has been a regular with New Zealand since his debut in late 2020, earning a World Test Championship win apart from a runners-up finish in 2021 T20 World Cup and a semi-final spot in 2022 edition of the event. Moreover, eight members from the 2019 World Cup final are in the current tournament in India.

"We can acknowledge this is another special occasion for us. We're fortunate enough to have a lot of experience in our camp, guys who have been in these situations before. We can lean on those guys."

"It's great to be in this position. It is one of our goals to be in the World Cup final. It's nice to be one step closer to that goal, everyone is very excited. We've been playing some good cricket. For us, it's about continuing to do what we do. The rest will take care of itself," he added.

After making an unbeaten 152 in New Zealand’s tournament opener match against England on October 5, Conway endured a slump, but showed signs of fluency again in making 45 against Sri Lanka in their last league match.

"It's been very exciting. With it being my first ODI World Cup, there's been quite a lot of challenges in a different format. I've certainly thoroughly enjoyed my time here with the guys. We've played some really good cricket. It's exciting to be in this position," he stated.

Conway is also pleased with performances of young all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, who has been a standout player in the tournament with 565 runs in nine matches, averaging 70.62 at a strike-rate of 108.44, including hitting three centuries and two fifties.

"It’s been fantastic for Rachin; we all know how good a player he is. For him to stand up in a world event is just spectacular. A lot of credit goes to the performances he’s put in and we hope that he continues to do so down the line for us. He’s a very popular young man in the team; he’s received quite a lot of attention. But it’s just great to see what he’s done."