New Zealand put on team performance to defeat India

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY: It was hard to pick one star from New Zealand's XI, with Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, and Mitchell Santner among those to stand up in a crucial match

On paper, New Zealand do not have a star-studded T20 squad. They do not boast an intimidating top order like Pakistan or India or have the enviable batting depth available to the likes of England or West Indies (on paper, remember). Their spin attack, as with most teams, pales in comparison to Afghanistan’s arsenal; they are not blessed with raw pace.

And after losing their tournament opener against Pakistan and knowing defeat against India could spell the end of their T20 World Cup campaign, New Zealand needed someone to be a match-winner in Dubai. But they didn't get a star, Instead, Kane Williamson's entire side stepped up to the plate in this crucial match to get the Black Caps back to winning ways. 

Ahead of the match, powerplay and death specialist, Trent Boult, spoke of the importance of early wickets and his desire to emulate the performance of fellow speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi in Pakistan’s historic victory last Sunday.

"I thought the way Shaheen bowled the other night from a left-armer watching on, I thought was amazing," Boult said. "Early wickets are definitely the focus for us as a bowling group. Hopefully, it swings around a little bit, and I can mirror what Shaheen did the other night."

Both of those wishes came true. Boult excelled from the off, conceding just one run in his opening over before collecting the wicket of Ishan Kishan in his second – the first of two Indian wickets to fall inside the powerplay. Reintroduced into the attack at the death, he claimed two wickets in the penultimate over – the second of which brought up his 50th in T20Is – to finish with figures of 3 for 20. And while he didn’t echo the level of absolute devastation wrought by Afridi seven days earlier or snare the impressive haul of Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Kohli, his wickets and, more importantly, his economy were no less crucial.

^{Daryl Mitchell, Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi}

Then, there was Ish Sodhi. New Zealand’s birthday boy loves bowling against India in international cricket’s shortest format and headed into Sunday's encounter with 17 wickets in 12 matches against them. The likes of Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had all departed by his hand and the latter pair found themselves on the wrong side of Sodhi once again in Dubai, who closed with impressive figures of 2 for 17.

Flying under the radar was fellow spinner Mitchell Santner, who bowled an anonymous, yet highly economical, four overs to record figures of 0 for 15, while big-handed Daryl Mitchell and the ageless Martin Guptill excelled in the field, with five catches combined. Jimmy Neesham, too, chipped in with a flying one-handed stop to save six runs in the 14th over, his disappointment at failing to tag-team with one of his teammates quite telling of New Zealand’s high standards in the field.

In fact, there were only two blots on the Black Caps’ copybook in the first innings. The first, Adam Milne dropping a routine take in the deep to dismiss Sharma for a first-ball duck - horror replaced by relief on the face of Mrs Sharma in the stands. It was the worst possible start for the seamer and when he was dispatched for 15 runs off his one powerplay over the decision to parachute him into the XI in place of Tim Seifert began to look dodgy. However, just like an understudy fluffing his first line, Milne grew into the game and took 1 for 15 from his next three overs.

The second, was Tim Southee’s final over, which yielded 10 runs and saw Jadeja punish a sloppy delivery for six. However, he limited his losses with three dot balls and against a free-swinging Jadeja, conceding just 10 runs is arguably quite tidy.

Having restricted India to just 110 for 7, the batters had a fairly routine chase on their hands. However, that didn’t stop the three main protagonists – Guptill, Mitchell and Kane Williamson – from putting on a show.

Guptill’s stay in the middle was brief, but memorable – three fours in the space of nine deliveries to get New Zealand motoring before picking out Shardul Thakur to depart for 20. Williamson excelled in a supporting role, picking out gaps in the field with laser focus before hitting the winning run to close on a well-made 33 not out.

But the leading man with the bat was Mitchell, New Zealand’s master blaster and unlikely opening darling. 49 runs off 35 balls, a pair of 14-run overs off the bowling of Jadeja and Thakur, and seven boundaries. His failure to reach his half-century was merely a personal blemish on an easy day with the bat for New Zealand, who completed their chase with 33 balls to spare.

As for India, they were once again out of sorts with the bat, their top order disappointingly fragile and six players departing after being caught in the deep. Tasked with defending 110, Jasprit Bumrah and co. were left high and dry. Afghanistan will certainly be smelling blood ahead of their meeting in Abu Dhabi on November 3 – a match which could see the pre-tournament favourites eliminated with two games to spare.

However, for New Zealand, their eight-wicket victory in Dubai marked a welcome return to winning ways after six T20 defeats on the spin and offers Williamson's side renewed optimism of reaching the final four. Their squad lacks a genuine, reliable match-winner, but when they work together as a unit, they look very slick indeed.

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