Sports

New Zealand Relaxed Despite Losing First Game Of Cricket World Cup: Jimmy Neesham

New Zealand were beaten by Pakistan at Edgbaston by six wickets. Next up for New Zealand are defending champions Australia followed by hosts England.

New Zealand Relaxed Despite Losing First Game Of Cricket World Cup: Jimmy Neesham
info_icon

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham says the Black Caps will not be unduly affected by their first defeat at the 2019 Cricket World Cup as they prepare for their final two group games against defending champions Australia and home side England.

New Zealand, who play Australia at Lord바카라™s on Saturday, were beaten by Pakistan at Edgbaston by six wickets with Neesham finishing unbeaten on 97 after captain Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bat.

(HIGHLIGHTS | SCHEDULE)

바카라œWe will prepare the same way we do for every other game and we바카라™re basically in a situation now where it바카라™s one win from two and we will be in the semi-finals which is obviously our goal,바카라 Neesham said.

바카라œThe mood in the dressing room is good, the guys were joking and laughing when I left. We바카라™re not the type of team that take losses really hard. We바카라™ll have a couple of beers tonight as a team and kind of talk about how that game went and then we바카라™ll pretty much park it.

바카라œAustralia are a team that we바카라™ve played a lot over the last two or three years. We know how they go about their game, they바카라™re obviously a very good team but we certainly won바카라™t prepare any differently for them that we would for any other game.바카라

Neesham said losing four quick wickets after winning the toss and electing to bat had probably been the turning point in the game but added it would be naive to expect to go through the tournament unbeaten.

바카라œThere are too many quality teams going around to expect to win every game. We prepared before the tournament that we would probably lose one or two games but for us it바카라™s all about making it to the semi-finals and then you바카라™re only two good games away from lifting the trophy.

바카라œSo for us nothing changes, we will prepare for the next game that same way we prepared for the last six.바카라Â 

Asked if New Zealand had made a mistake by omitting leg-spinner Ish Sodhi on a pitch that took significant turn, Neesham said the team had been selected on the information it had received before the game.

바카라œIn hindsight it is easier to say an extra spinner would have been useful but the bowlers we had, the quality we had at the bowling crease was enough to defend that total. Unfortunately, it didn바카라™t fall our way.바카라

Neesham said he and fellow all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme (64) had decided to go on the attack in the 43rd over and added the decision had been made primarily because they did not want the tailenders to be exposed to the Pakistan fast bowlers given with their ability to reverse swing the ball.

바카라œWe believed we could make hay in the last seven overs, we thought potentially we had a score that would win." (With inputs from ICC)

×