Santner and New Zealand ready to break hearts and silence India's crowd in T20 final

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/G6PWlrQB/"]New Zealand[/a] reached the final after sweeping ‌past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/tUhlKzIm/"]South Africa[/a] in a ruthless nine-wicket win and are chasing their first global T20 crown after ‌falling short in previous campaigns.[/p][p][b]"We are pretty consistent because we try not ‌get overawed by the situation or opponents. We just go out there and do ‌our thing," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/santner-mitchell/WrKSVkXJ/"]Santner[/a] told reporters on Saturday.[/b][/p][p][b]"It's going to be an opposite ‌challenge where everyone knows we're probably not the favourites. But we don't mind. We know we can do little things well and put in a strong team performance.[/b][/p][p][b]"It would put us in ‌a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. ⁠I wouldn't mind breaking a few ‌hearts to lift the trophy."[/b][/p][embed guid="0c7afa19-804f-4d88-9147-f0688f3d0732" url="https://x.com/BLACKCAPS/status/2029238298682769534" social-type="twitter" /][p]Santner said the pressure would lean heavily on the hosts, who ​are bidding to defend the title in front of more than 100,000 spectators expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium.[/p][p]He did not shy away from ​the prospect of silencing a packed house, drawing an echo of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cummins-patrick/nXoaKQUf/"]Pat Cummins[/a]-led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OxG0JfXg/"]Australia[/a]'s triumph at the same venue in the 2023 one-day World Cup final.[/p][p][b]"The ⁠goal is to silence the ​crowd. There are a lot of variables in T20 cricket and it is fickle at times," the 34-year-old said.[/b][/p][p][b]"If we go out about our business the same way we can upset another big team. There's obviously a lot of pressure on in ‌there (on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/india/fcOzl2uI/"]India[/a]) to win this World Cup at home."[/b][/p][p]India are coming off the back of a stunning seven-run win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/UJC5mtAU/"]England[/a] in the semi-final, and Santner emphasised the need for early breakthroughs to blunt their top order.[/p][p][b]"The only way to slow any team down is wickets at the top and then try to squeeze a few overs in the middle... if you're not taking wickets, you have to find a way to stop boundaries," he said.[/b][/p][p]He also praised the depth of New Zealand's squad, highlighting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcconchie-cole/vgKJrujO/"]Cole McConchie[/a]'s smooth transition after replacing the injured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bracewell-michael/hIK9BIZR/"]‌Michael Bracewell[/a].[/p][p]McConchie has scored 45 runs and taken two wickets in four matches.[/p][p][b]"Cole ​coming straight in, was obviously a challenge. I think when you have ‌the buy-in of the group, it's not just the 11 out there, it's the 15 in the squad... We're all in this journey together," Santner said.[/b][/p][p]Despite the size of the occasion, Santner urged his side to treat it like any other day at the office.[/p][p][b]"It's easy to say it's just ⁠another game - everyone knows it's probably ⁠not - but the way you go ‌about it has to be the same," he added.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/india-fcOzl2uI/new-zealand-G6PWlrQB/?mid=rkrfMtJF"]Follow the final with Flashscore.[/a][/p]