 "ICC World T20: In-form India maybe surprised by dangerous New Zealand")
In most parts of the world, New Zealand is an affable team that enraptures crowds with an intrepid, sometimes fitful brand of cricket. The Kiwis are usually every cricket fan’s delight, but not tonight. For the thousands that line up outside the VCA Stadium to watch them take on India in the opener of the ICC World T20 proper in Nagpur, only an Indian win will do. For all the amiability we feel toward the Kiwis, a New Zealand win would be cataclysmic.
A couple of years ago, an encounter between the two sides on Indian soil was so often a cruel mismatch on paper; one that the visitors lit up with sporadic flashes of brilliance only to despairingly cede ground in the end. But that old pattern may no longer apply. New Zealand is still the swashbuckling, surprise-laden team of old; but it’s now playing with a newfound consistency that should have India worried. Indian has never beaten New Zealand in a T20 international, with the Kiwis leading the head-to-head 4-0. But then India isn’t the T20 team of old, which was woefully inconsistent and had made capitulations in crunch games an embarrassing routine.
In any other sport, it would be unfathomable to expect a team that has won 10 of its last 11 matches to be worried by any team. But then that’s the nature of the T20 game; a whirlwind three hours that mostly oscillate at an absurd pace, with the winner so often decided by minuscule margins.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni must be elated with his team’s preparations. Despite the narrow loss to South Africa in the second warm-up game, openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – both of whose performances were patchy during the Asia Cup – have hit form; Virat Kohli is batting like the modern-day colossus we’ve grown so accustomed to; Dhoni himself has been among the runs. Even Mohammed Shami, who has been laid low with injury for a number of months now, bowled well against the Proteas.
For New Zealand, minus the recently-retired Brendon McCullum, a thumping win over Sri Lanka was followed by a last-over defeat to England. Skipper Kane Williamson earlier this week spoke about the importance of acclimatising to Indian conditions quickly. Given that most members of the Kiwi side have never played in India, Williamson’s concerns are not unwarranted.
Against England, New Zealand were found wanting against spin, something that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be keen to exploit. In December, a Test match between India and South Africa in Nagpur lasted only three days, with Ashwin causing mayhem from day one itself. While it would be fatuous to expect a minefield for a game of this magnitude, spin is likely to play an important role.
New Zealand’s own spin department, however, is unlikely to give any batting opposition sleepless nights. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, their two frontline spinners, have played a handful of T20 internationals between them, which means that the experienced Nathan McCullum might be called upon to bowl his speedy, innocuous off-breaks. But in Trent Boult and Adam Milne, Williamson has at his disposal two quicks who can bowl with pace and vigour.
Last month, Australia got a taste of Martin Guptill’s enormous appetite for runs; a series in which he handsomely destroyed the Aussie pacers. Along with Williamson – who is only behind Kohli in the T20 international run-scoring charts this year – he will be the major cause of concern for Dhoni. Getting one of them early would be a definite advantage. Dhoni likes to chase in T20 games, at home in particular. If the toss goes India’s way, it would hardly be a surprise if Dhoni puts the opposition in.
An entrancing battle is upon us, one that will hopefully set the tone for a great tournament ahead. No team has the won the World T20 on home soil; India, with form on its side, has the opportunity to change that record. The real test begins tonight.
A couple of years ago, an encounter between the two sides on Indian soil was so often a cruel mismatch on paper; one that the visitors lit up with sporadic flashes of brilliance only to despairingly cede ground in the end. But that old pattern may no longer apply. New Zealand is still the swashbuckling, surprise-laden team of old; but it’s now playing with a newfound consistency that should have India worried. Indian has never beaten New Zealand in a T20 international, with the Kiwis leading the head-to-head 4-0. But then India isn’t the T20 team of old, which was woefully inconsistent and had made capitulations in crunch games an embarrassing routine.
In any other sport, it would be unfathomable to expect a team that has won 10 of its last 11 matches to be worried by any team. But then that’s the nature of the T20 game; a whirlwind three hours that mostly oscillate at an absurd pace, with the winner so often decided by minuscule margins.
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India has been in auto-pilot mode for the last couple of months, flying at breakneck speeds that other teams have struggled to keep up with – Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh, all swept aside with the most minimal of fuss. Against the Kiwis though, the Indian pilots might have to take charge again.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni must be elated with his team’s preparations. Despite the narrow loss to South Africa in the second warm-up game, openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – both of whose performances were patchy during the Asia Cup – have hit form; Virat Kohli is batting like the modern-day colossus we’ve grown so accustomed to; Dhoni himself has been among the runs. Even Mohammed Shami, who has been laid low with injury for a number of months now, bowled well against the Proteas.
For New Zealand, minus the recently-retired Brendon McCullum, a thumping win over Sri Lanka was followed by a last-over defeat to England. Skipper Kane Williamson earlier this week spoke about the importance of acclimatising to Indian conditions quickly. Given that most members of the Kiwi side have never played in India, Williamson’s concerns are not unwarranted.
Against England, New Zealand were found wanting against spin, something that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be keen to exploit. In December, a Test match between India and South Africa in Nagpur lasted only three days, with Ashwin causing mayhem from day one itself. While it would be fatuous to expect a minefield for a game of this magnitude, spin is likely to play an important role.
New Zealand’s own spin department, however, is unlikely to give any batting opposition sleepless nights. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, their two frontline spinners, have played a handful of T20 internationals between them, which means that the experienced Nathan McCullum might be called upon to bowl his speedy, innocuous off-breaks. But in Trent Boult and Adam Milne, Williamson has at his disposal two quicks who can bowl with pace and vigour.
Last month, Australia got a taste of Martin Guptill’s enormous appetite for runs; a series in which he handsomely destroyed the Aussie pacers. Along with Williamson – who is only behind Kohli in the T20 international run-scoring charts this year – he will be the major cause of concern for Dhoni. Getting one of them early would be a definite advantage. Dhoni likes to chase in T20 games, at home in particular. If the toss goes India’s way, it would hardly be a surprise if Dhoni puts the opposition in.
An entrancing battle is upon us, one that will hopefully set the tone for a great tournament ahead. No team has the won the World T20 on home soil; India, with form on its side, has the opportunity to change that record. The real test begins tonight.