Kolkata, March 4 "I just tried to get into good positions and perform for the team," a composed Finn Allen said after his blistering unbeaten 100 off 33 balls powered New Zealand into the T20 World Cup final with a nine-wicket victory over South Africa here on Wednesday.
Player of the Match Allen said the intention was clear from the outset, and having an aggressive batsman on the other end also helped him.
Allen and Tim Seifert (58 off 33 balls) put on a 117-run stand for the opening wicket, effectively ending the match.
"We wanted to start well and put them under pressure early. It was easy for me when Timmy was batting so well. I could just watch and get him to the strike. He played a great innings," Allen said.
On adapting to the conditions, Allen emphasized the importance of preparation.
"You adapt to the pitch. Training is really important to get a feel of the surface. We knew it would be a hard pitch, and we had that information. This shows how important that series was before the World Cup."
Despite the emphatic win, the opener quickly shifted focus to the final. The winner of Thursday's semi-final between India and England in Mumbai will face the Kiwis in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
"You take the positives from the game and celebrate a little, but you also have a final to look forward to on Sunday."
Skipper Mitchell Santner described it as one of their most complete performances.
"When you see how good South Africa are, to put up a performance like that in a crucial game is really pleasing. Earlier, we had been good in certain periods, but today we were good throughout."
Santner said there was clarity in the planning, including the tactical use of spin in the powerplay.
"There was a plan for the first two overs, and then it was a free-for-all. With Brevis coming in, we knew he liked spin, but we thought it would be better to bowl away from him."
Although 170 appeared competitive at the break, the captain admitted that the openers turned it into a one-sided affair.
"In T20 cricket, you never know. Wickets in the powerplay would have made it a challenge. But they took it on. And Finny just kept going. A 100 off 33 balls is not bad," he said with a smile.
Looking ahead, Santner remained cautious.
"It's a different pitch next time, a red soil pitch, a hard pitch, with a lot of variables. It was a pretty good performance. I don't know if it was a perfect game, but we were good throughout."
A dejected South Africa captain Aiden Markram conceded that Allen's innings had floored them.
"They bowled really well up front. Credit to their bowling unit. And when someone plays an innings like that, you don't often come out on the right side of it."
Markram felt his side may have fallen short on a good batting surface.
"To get to 170 was a great effort to be fair. Maybe we had to scrape our way to 190 and we would have been in the game. They got off to a flyer in the powerplay. Massive credit to Finn Allen and Seifert for killing the game off as early as they did," he said.
Despite the disappointment, the Proteas skipper expressed pride in his team's campaign.
"Obviously disappointed in the result, but really proud of these guys. We'll let the emotions settle first and then have a discussion as a group. We'll come back stronger and be better as a team."
