Rachin Ravindra: Black Caps player ahead of the T20 World Cup final

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Speaking of cricket the black haps are on the brink of more history as they prepare to face India in the final of the

ICC means T-20 World Cup tomorrow morning 2.30 New Zealand time one of the key figures in New Zealand run to the final or round a

Ruch and Ravindra

Ruch and Ravindra joins us now out of India Ruch and thanks for your time a World Cup final

What every young cricketer dreams about I'm sure how you feeling in the lead up to such a massive occasion?

Yeah, for sure. Obviously it's something your dream as a kid and to see yourself play on this

Well, I have the opportunity to put on the stages is pretty special and playing India in their home conditions in front of you know

120 130,000 people in the stadium is it's gonna be truly incredible

Obviously that the nerves and stuff are always there and the lead up for training and stuff, but that's it a big good fun

The semifinal win over South Africa by nine wickets utterly

Empathic what did that performance do for the confidence of the team heading into the final?

Yeah, I think it's massive. I mean when you're in tournament cricket you sort of get on a roll and end up playing

You know a bit of good cricket and each game you take it a little bit of confidence

I think something that in fact in fact like the way Siphon Fin chased that down was incredible

And I think leave us a good said for the final. I just want to take you back to the batting innings

You came in to join Fin Allen at 117 for one you're chasing one's 70

You get through to 137 for one after 10 overs

You take a single of the third ball of the 11th over that takes New Zealand to 138 for one

Fin Allen then goes four six one to keep the strike four four six six four

You've won by nine wickets with seven overs to spare

He's gone from 58 to 100 not out in 11 balls

What was it like watching that innings from the other end?

It's honestly unbelievable

I think you look at our two openers and you see the way they go about it for me

It's honestly unfathomable sometimes the power and the and the hitting

It's it's almost a different game, you know, and it's it's awesome to have that power at the top of the order

I mean when I walked out of bow sort of had an inkling for him was gonna get there because it was just the

Rhythm and timing everything he was showing was was incredible. Yeah, it was outstanding

I spoke to Fin Allen last week on the radio actually. He was frustrated

He said by getting 20s and 30s and not going on with him. Did you sense a real desire in Fin Allen to convert a big one and in such a big game?

I don't know

It's it's always an interesting one and batting and finally, you know, it's like it's sort of the harder you try to

Push on after starts to worst against because all of a sudden you know

Sort of milk a little bit or not put the team first and I think

That's Fin's we know one of the biggest strengths. He sort of West takes a game on in his own way

and

Sometimes it comes off and like an amazing not at 100 the other day and but even if he gets 20 or 30 gets us off to an amazing start

So either way, you know, whatever he's doing. It's contributing to our team

Your bowling role, Ruchin at this tournament. It's been fascinating to watch you bowl 11 wickets a terrific economy right

What's been the key to finding success with the ball in these conditions?

I guess just trying to use use my skill and ability. I think obviously it's it's amazing to have

Santana next to me and being able to chat to him about a few things but

Just trying to spin the ball hard and and keep it, you know, the life of hard for the batters

I guess for me being a bestman primarily. It's it's it's quite handy because I get to think like about it

You know what I mean? So I can hopefully be a bit defensive when I feel like they're coming or keeping out of the arc and stuff

So just trying to stay one step ahead of the game

Obviously the wickets and Sri Lanka are quite conducive for spin bowling

But you know, you get back over to here to India and it's certainly a bit flatter

So it's always always an adaption piece in our game. I've seen you've spoken about varying your pace

Your seam angle lines lengths that sort of thing to make things difficult for

Opposition batters

You only bowling 24 deliveries max. Aren't you in any one game? How much planning actually goes into each spell in a t-20 game?

Yeah, it's it's always interesting because um

I probably plan a bit more with the bat that the ball are sort of not necessarily just rock up

But it's a bit more natural craft for me um in terms of my preparation

I guess we talk a lot as a spin group though and we talk about each batter and what lines we can bolt to them and how to shut them down and fields etc

So that that goes quite um that makes a difference in terms of what we plan for

um and I mean a lot of the time it's instinct right you get a feeling

You want to bowl this ball more for the knot you trust your gut and and hopefully execute um because

It can get quite complicated out there

So India's batting line up stacked with power and a lot of left handers as well

How tricky a challenge does that present for you as a left arm spinner?

Yeah, I'm sure I mean the matchups not really quite there left arm spin to left handers and in today's t-20 game

It's uh you're always going to be a little bit under the puck because they're going to want to take you down

But I think that's that's quite a exciting opportunity you know you potentially a chance for a wicket

And you know you feel like you're in the game and obviously it's you know you can get it for a few bombs

But that's that's part of the game um

But I think for for us it's just

Understanding who you're bowling to what your role is at that time. Obviously it's nice

I'm sitting at other end because I'm scored too much off him

So they always try to take me take me down a little bit um

But yeah other matchup game would be huge and the cool thing is we've got spin that that's

Spinsible both ways and in terms of couple of spinners and couple left-dumps off you so

We've got bassist covered which is quite nice indeed. So a final in India against India at this

Massive stadium a huge home crowd lot of noise

How do you block that outruch and then and focus on the job at hand when you're out there in the middle?

Yeah, it's always interesting one. I guess the the whole thing about blocking it like it's gonna be there

I think first of all accepting um almost the pressure and and what it's gonna feel like because

You know you're going up against a billion plus people the who who are obviously going to be behind India

Um and the noise at at that ground the meta-bad is it's crazy. So

um

For us it's just keeping us simple

I think and and being as present as possible that and focusing on the next play you know the next ball

Whatever is that whatever that importance is because in finals it's so easy to get here to yourself

It's so easy to look at the winning and losing of it

But there's a reason why we got there and I think that's by you know playing each moment

So and I think there's no real way to completely block out the crowd

I mean they're always going to be there, but when I bet I don't really hear it. So um hopefully

I can bet for some time

So the black ops remain close in global tournaments a number of times in recent years

What would it mean to this group to finally win a world cap?

Yeah

It's been awesome, you know the the black ops team over the last you know 10 or so years has been amazing

We've we've made a lot of world events and we've had our you know fissure of heartbreak and in the time being as well. So

Look it's obviously if we go opportunity it would be a fantastic

But either way I'm proud of the group and and how we've evolved and developed as a t20 team

Um and super proud of the results and hopefully we're inspiring everyone back home because that's

Really what's important? Yeah, well you're certainly doing that

So just to finish when the anthems are all done and you look around that stadium before the first ball

Whether you're out there in the field or you're sitting there with your pads on watching

Fin Allen and Tim Cyford get ready to face the first ball

What do you want the mindset of the black ops to be in that moment?

I guess come um

The thing is with with these games is always a lot of distractions a lot of chaos around right

So for you to become and and chill and understand what the

We task at hand is I think they'll go a long way, but also

um playing our way, but also not you know, fearing the big moments and and taking them on

Because that's a t20 cricket, you know, it's

If you take a step back here you find out, you know, you're one or two balls of that you end up losing the game

It's such fine margin. So um, let's take the game on and do it in that way

Well, I can tell you ruchin. This one surprised you

Many thousands of people are sitting there alarms for just before two thirty tomorrow morning to get up and watch you take on India in this

t20 final very exciting times back here very exciting for you as well

Congrats on your part in getting New Zealand to the final all the best and thanks as always for the chat

First rest just part and appreciate it

Now appreciate you joining us ruchin. Thanks indeed ruchin

Revindra there ahead of the t20 World Cup final

You look at his numbers in this t20 World Cup 11 wickets

And an average of just 10.64 and an economy of 6.88 look anything under seven runs and over in t20 cricket

We know how good that is

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