New Zealand's T20 WC Final Berth: Allen's Record Ton, Ravindra's Spin Key

New Zealand's win was set up by Finn Allen tore into the in-form South African attack by hitting ten boundaries and eight towering sixes to hit a 33-ball century - the fastest hundred ever scored in the Men's T20 World Cup. He also shared a whirlwind 117-run opening stand with Tim Seifert, who made 58, as New Zealand completed a chase of 170 with 43 balls to spare.

"We respect South Africa's power, shown consistently in T20s. My focus with the ball is making it tough for the batters by varying pace, seam angle, and bowling line. Having Santner at extra cover lets me bounce ideas off him.

"Our strength lies in solid planning and vast experience from IPL, internationals, and other franchise leagues; we've faced these guys often. We muck in as a unit, knowing each role well and adapting to the moment," said Ravindra on JioStar.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan hailed New Zealand's ability to step up in the knockouts which makes the side a perennial threat in ICC events despite their modest population. "It was a perfect game for New Zealand. With just 6 million people in the country, they consistently dominate ICC knockouts. They always arrive with a sharp plan, Finn Allen timed his stunning 100 perfectly; Rachin Ravindra starred with ball and bat.

"Mitchell Santner kept everyone grounded post-win, job's not done till the final. Cole McConchie bowled just one over, snared two wickets, and that was it. Kiwis prepare meticulously, execute flawlessly, and move on."

Pathan also identified a tactical error by South Africa in their powerplay bowling plans, while arguing it did little to diminish the quality of New Zealand's performance. "Finn Allen showed awesome power, in front of the wicket and square. When a batter can lap in the powerplay and still muscle you straight, it's almost impossible to plan for him.

"South Africa missed a trick by not starting with Keshav Maharaj to the right-hander, but that doesn't take anything away from this brilliantly prepared New Zealand side. Their time on turning Sri Lankan pitches has clearly sharpened their game against spin, and on a good batting surface tonight they showed exactly what they can do."

Pathan went further in breaking down why Allen's unique crease position left opposition bowlers with no viable plan to strike back. "The bowlers had limited options, maybe deny pace, but the full length fed nearly 40 per cent runs in the front of the wicket and lap shots against quicks.

"Allen stood deep in the crease, as he did in Sri Lanka, on slower pitches, you wait on the back foot, not front. He's refined his game. His spin strike rate was nearly half against pace, but once set, he elevated that as well, exactly what he did."

New Zealand have now advanced to the final, to be played in Ahmedabad on Sunday and await the winner of the second semi-final between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar explained what set Allen's innings apart was not just his familiar destruction against pace, but a quietly significant evolution in his handling of spin. "Finn Allen's innings stood out against pace, where he's always destructive, but his growth against handling spin was key.

"He adapted brilliantly to black-soil pitches by positioning both feet inside the crease, playing back-foot shots closer to the stumps, even with his front leg behind the bowling crease. It shows immense planning and hard work. Players like him can be inconsistent, but when in form, they demolish the opposition and win games single-handedly."

- IANS