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White ball prize in Black Caps collapse

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Roar Rookie
31st January, 2019
3

Oh how times have changed.

Ten years have passed since the Black Caps dismissed the Sachin Tendulkar-less Indians, only to royally underestimate, confusingly underprepare and ultimately underperform against the 2019 Virat Kohli-blessed outfit.

Now they have been dismantled in three straight ODIs, in the year of the ODI World Cup. Hand hovering over panic button? Hold on a minute.

The optimist in me could propose that Kane Williamson and Gary Stead are holding their cards close to their chest. The realist says India are superior in every way.

The pessimist says “optimist, you’re an idiot”.

Arguably, only the No.1 ranked ODI team – England – could have prepared the Black Caps for the quality they have faced thus far.

Unfortunately, New Zealand were fed a diet of tenderised Sri Lankan meat by the English, so what looked like a feast was more of a famine of quality opposition, Thisara Perera aside.

The senior Black Caps should probably have been playing domestic cricket, and young stars given a chance to perform under the glare of international lights against a mediocre Sri Lanka.

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Instead, a sense of superiority ensued. A two-week break turned into an ill-timed holiday for our elite cricketers. It is smart to rest players, however, this poorly timed plan has diabolically backfired.

This is because one of the greatest batsmen to ever grace our shores and his mega-star cohorts have been dining out on a seemingly psychologically wounded wallaby and world-class batsmen-lite kangaroo flesh.

India’s domination of Australia was seemingly swept under the rug as an anomaly by New Zealand cricket management and analysts.

No one beats Australia in cricket easily. No one. India masterminded their success with superior people, plans, and execution.

India delivered historic 2-1 victories in their Test and ODI series with the reigning ODI world champions. Australian cricket does not go from dominant force to easybeat, and never will, but that is seemingly how India’s mighty effort was translated by media far and wide.

The media can be forgiven, because they simply should not matter. I believe true professionals do not read their own media, however, I think a few Kiwis read a few articles and listened to some hyperbole-laced commentary.

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New Zealand should have been watching India’s demolition of Australia more closely. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

I love what India did in Australia but, apparently, the New Zealand cricket fraternity let it slide.

How India’s impending quality of skill, mindset and performance, didn’t seem to register with our brains trust, is simply negligible.

The complete lack of cricket for most of the ODI squad is confusing for everyone involved.

Virat et al must have rubbed their hands together, seeing how poorly their opposition had prepared.

Martin Guptill and Colin Munro look absolutely leaden, their usual confident striding drives and cuts eliminated by wonderful length, line and perfect seam variety from the relentless Mohammed Shami.

Williamson looks rushed and is probably being forced into doing two jobs, due to the failing openers’ lack of impetus. Kane’s dismissals are telling the tale of two-mindedness. He needs to decide what kind of innings he needs to play, especially when his openers are giving him nothing but stuttering starts.

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Master Ross Taylor, you are the boss of this batting line-up, so behave like it. Lifting a back foot to a part-time weird-action drift-spinner is not acceptable.

Not militarily ordering lower order buddies to hand over the strike – when Taylor was the key to a competitive total – was passive resistance at best. Arguably, this passivity is his only weakness and, sadly, a likely factor behind Mike Hesson and Brendon McCullum usurping the captaincy from him. Yeah, I said it.

Roscoe’s aggression needs to be tapped more often, and a few sixes hit straight down the ground (by following through), once in a while wouldn’t go amiss!

Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls are accumulating players at best and lack the destructive power of Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson, so one must go.

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Colin de Grandhomme’s power is his power, but he wields it like a junior club cricketer in the senior ranks. He needs to think about when to hit in the air, and when to hit along the ground.

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Lastly, New Zealand’s batsmen are batting like individuals, but batting should always be a partnership. Look after the partnership, value each wicket obsessively, and the rest should follow.

India are too good, this time around. However, come the World Cup, this ODI series defeat will mean nothing. Eating the humble pie and lessons learnt here against India, could be an absolute blessing in disguise – should they gratefully accept the Dhonation.

It could be the perfectly timed revelation for a talented Black Caps side who have been shown, in 3D, first-hand precision, how to select, plan and play the ODI form of cricket.

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