Here are highlights from Mitchell Santner’s press conference after the T20 World Cup final.
(Reporter:)
Do you think the choice to field first on a wicket that looked very good to bat was a mistake or was it influenced by many other factors?
(Mitch Santner:)
I think you can look back. But I think it was a pretty good goal. I guess there wasn’t much for the pitchers. The cutters didn’t really hold, they didn’t spin much. So I think any way you look at it, I think if we had a couple in the power play, pushed them through the middle a little bit, 220 could be driven to a very good wicket. But I think credit to Sanju and Abhishek at the top for 90 I think outside the power play. It’s pretty tough from there.
(Reporter:)
Mitch, what was the plan on the power play as you seemed to focus wide and keep the ball out of reach of the stoppers. What was the plan you set for the powerplay? Since you mentioned the game against India, not losing the power play was really huge in the warm-up game.
(Mitch Santner:)
Yeah, I think there wasn’t a lot of seam or swing early on, so I think the pitchers are trying to do what they can to get out of the arc. We know how good Sanju, Abhishek and Kishan are in hitting all over the wicket. I think any way you look at it, there is no such thing as a perfect plan as far as guys go. I think it’s hard to stop when guys go like this. So whether it was a few more yorkers or closing balls, I think we tried wide things. And then we tried the two on the leg side. So we tried everything. But yeah, I think the credit has to go to how they set up that power play, and from there you can go pretty hard and get a good score like they did.
(Reporter:)
Mitch second after the innings, Glenn Phillips bowled a decent over giving only 5 runs. Why didn’t he get the ball again?
(Mitch Santner:)
I think the way they played the end, I think Abishek played very smartly. I know he sometimes drives a little hard on the turn off, but he handed it to Sanju. And then I think the first kind of three overs is when the ball is doing its best. And then I think you can really use the last three power forwards like they did. So it’s always going to be hard. I think if Sanju gets out it would definitely be another option for GP to go for two lefties. But when you don’t take wickets, it’s always a challenge.
(Reporter:)
You just said it was like you tried everything. You have played a lot of T20 cricket. How good a team do you think you just lost in the finals?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yes, a very good team. I think they know how to play in these conditions. They play on very flat wickets against quality sides. And they showed again today that once they get going, they’re pretty hard to stop. So I think for us it’s been, whether it’s been bolder with yorkers or bounces, I think we’ve tried a lot of wicket cutters that don’t offer much, they just go too. So I think they knocked it around at times and I think when we used the slower bounces, the yorkers, for that little phase in the middle we were able to slow them down, but again I think the damage was done and then at the end Dubé came in and hit, they all hit it pretty well at the moment so I think yeah 230 we could have had 230 for a pretty good wicket.
(Reporter:)
Mitch Just wanted to know about the pick 11. During this tournament we have seen most of the teams attack India with spin and struggle against the spinners. You have the option to play as Cole, but you choose to continue with Jacob. So can you please talk about this particular selection?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yeah, it was hard. I think we saw in Kolkata, I think the game was again outside their top three rotation. Ahmedabad, wicket, mixed ground, usually no spin. There’s always a bit of bounce. I think when I bowled my overs, Axar’s and Chakravarty’s, there was no real spin at any stage. So I wonder which way you go, I think it was potentially a bit of a bounce for the seamers, but I think at the end of the day it’s execution, whoever’s bowling. I think if you mix nice areas for a period of time you can get out of overs. I think that was the main thing. At times it wasn’t about trying to get goals, it was about how you were going to defend to attack. I think when we did that, we were able to squeeze in, I think, a period of four overtime. And they lost four wickets. But other than that it was a couple of runs.
(Reporter:)
Mitch, you’ve been a part of a few finals, losses, especially after making it through the semis. You must feel pretty sick about it.
(Mitch Santner:)
I think it’s not ideal, to lose the semi-final and the final, but as I said yesterday, you get in that situation, you come up against teams that play very good cricket as well. India in the final and India will always be a challenge. We knew there would definitely be underdogs going into the game. And they showed their class again tonight with that batting performance. And then everything has to go well when you’re chasing 250. And losing wickets in a power play is always a challenge. I think that was the story of the day, there were two power plays. I think we were three to 40 odd and they were 90 odd to none.
(Reporter:)
You played against India in a bilateral match where Sanju was a complete disaster, only about 45 or 46 and he scored about 90 here. So what did you think of him? What changes did he make to his bat or where did he go wrong earlier?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yeah, it’s probably unlucky for us that he skimped on World Cup runs. I think in a couple of those games he looked like he was trying to hit one ball. And then I think tonight, even last night, he took a chance, he took some balls. And then I think you can really make money on these wickets while you’re at it. And I think Abishek was the same. He turned around a bit at the beginning. And then they said that once they were both ready and facing some goals, they were ready to go. And they went. So I think it was a game for us, we were trying to see if we could play hard and get early runs, but we obviously couldn’t do that tonight.
(Reporter:)
So you said that your bowlers could have been bolder with their yorkers and bounces and that your batting innings chasing a massive total obviously didn’t turn out fantastically. Were you disappointed tonight and if so why do you think so?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yes, I think so, I think I always do – when you come up against a very good team in the final, you always want to do well. And I think obviously we all know we weren’t at our best tonight and if you don’t do well against a very good team you’re going to be exposed and that’s what we were tonight. So I think we’ll probably look at some options with the ball and the bat and we may reconsider. you have to go pretty well in the final against India. I think some of the ball options early on we could have potentially done things a little bit differently, but I think when two guys go on the power play like we saw, I think even our wins against South Africa, it’s pretty hard to stop guys when they’re going. So whatever it looks like, we’ll think about it. What does it look like going forward when you face teams on very flat wickets? It can be a little different. And then, I guess, with the bat, I guess you don’t win the chase in the power play, you lose. But I think 250 tonight was always going to be a tough score. Mitch,
(Reporter:)
You sent a sweet note on Twitter before the final, even apologizing to your folks back home for playing on Sunday and also asking them to get up early in the morning to support you and watch the final. After coming so close and ending up as another finalist, what message do you have for your folks back home?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yeah, I think it’s thanks to the fans at home watching us. Yeah, I might have to go to work today, without the trophy of course, but obviously we’ve got great support at home and we’ve got great support here as well and it was amazing to play in front of so many people tonight, of course I had a couple of blue shirts on not too many black shirts, but again it’s always a great opportunity and it’s always great for us to play in front of so many people – so yeah, of course it didn’t come against our team a big thank you to the fans back home.
(Reporter:)
Hey Mitch, we have a lot of luck today, but just as we’re talking about how excited I am and what would you say to your fans that you have a little bit of a side note to this question? You don’t have to wait so long for the next World Cup to come these days. Next year you have one in South Africa and then there is a T21 in Australia. So you don’t have to play in sub-continental conditions, maybe in conditions where you enjoy or have a comfort zone. So any chances or any thoughts on that as you look ahead to end this drought, end this sequence?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yeah it’s probably far enough I think yeah we’re going to reflect tonight as a group over the next few days I think this tournament and how it’s been. I think it’s obviously a pretty good effort from the boys to get to the final and they should be very proud of their efforts during this tournament. And then I think the other kind of big events one day in South Africa, as you said, will play out a little differently than what we expect here. And then our next T20 World Cup is in Australia and New Zealand, so it will be nice to get some fans there and the crowd in, I think, familiar conditions. And I think one of the hardest things is to win the World Cup in your country. So for India to do that, of course it comes with a lot of pressure from the home fans. To win this trophy tonight, they should be very proud.
(Reporter:)
You talk about how difficult it is to win the World Cup at home. Could you sum up how terrifying it is to play a World Cup final in India? Some of the mental challenges that come with it. And we always talk about the chase in the finale. How tough was it today, especially with all the talk about India’s batting and the type of template they set in the semi-final and how it seems to have replicated?
(Mitch Santner:)
Yeah, I think playing in India is always a great opportunity. I’ve been coming here for several years. And every time you play in front of so many people, it’s very exciting. Obviously it comes with challenges, especially being the captain, trying to catch your fielders and stuff like that when you can’t hear anyone. But again, the reason we play the game is to play in front of people who are big fans of cricket. So I think it was definitely, yes, obviously the final comes with nerves and pressures, but I think there was definitely a lot of pressure on India to perform in front of so many people and they did an outstanding job of that today. So I think credit goes to them. I think so, I think, , I think you look at our semi-final, if you can take wickets in the powerplay, push through the middle and then restrict the team to even 200. On a very good wicket it could be chased. I think 250, you need a lot of stuff to go your way. And I think you have to give India credit for that. The way they came and played and they knew they needed a good score and they think you can throw us out, I think with a score of 250.
