Without a feasible option to replace Jeet Raval for Boxing Day, New Zealand have backed themselves into a corner before their biggest Test match in years.
Raval made two scores of only one run in Perth, continuing a poor stretch of form that has seen him surpass five just twice in his last nine Test innings.
A solid opener with a good technique, he is going through a rough period at the top of the order and according to former Black Caps batting coach Craig McMillan, selectors have no choice but to swing the axe.
“You drop him because playing him again would be cruel. It would actually be silly,” he said.
But discussions at the selection table may not be so straightforward given that the Kiwis have no one to replace him with. Their only batting cover comes in the form of wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, who has batted at number eight in his only two Tests, and currently bats at five for his domestic side Wellington. Throwing him in to face a likely new ball trio of Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins is equally cruel as retaining Raval.
Some argue they have nothing to lose given Raval’s current form, but it’s hardly an enticing option.
(AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
This predicament could have been foreseen, and a top-order contingency plan should have been in place to cover for Raval, who has been struggling for some time. His three domestic innings before the recent England series reaped scores of just 7, 3 and 14. Given his struggles of late, it was little surprise he failed on a fast deck against the best pace attack in the world. He looked “out of his depth” according to Ricky Ponting.
Raval not only exposes his side to being one wicket down early in the Melbourne Test, but also opens the door for Australia to bowl at Kane Williamson with the new Kookaburra. As we’ve seen in recent years, MCG wickets become exponentially easier to bat on once the ball softens, so an early chance to dismiss the world’s third-ranked Test batsmen – and the Black Caps’ key hope with the bat – puts them under enormous pressure.
New Zealand have hinted there was no obvious replacement for Raval. The injured Will Young, who scored two hundreds and a fifty against Australia in three World Cup warm-up games in March, would have been the man had he been fit. But it begs the question as to why the selectors picked just five specialist batsmen in their 15-man squad for the Australia tour. Another top-order pick, even in the absence of a stand-out option, was a must given Raval’s vulnerability. By contrast, they picked seven bowlers.
The other move the Black Caps could make for Boxing Day is to insert Blundell into his favoured spot in the middle order and promote BJ Watling or even Henry Nicholls to open. Watling is in the best form of his career, but given he hasn’t opened at Test level in over seven years, they might risk upsetting that current form. Nicholls has also enjoyed a prolific 12 months at number five and has never opened at Test level. He did, however, open the batting during this year’s World Cup.
The options are thin for a side ranked number two in the world. McMillan said it was too risky to change two or three positions and as a result, their only option was a straight swap of Blundell for Raval.
“In an ideal world when you are touring Australia you like to have a reserve opening batsman,” he said.
“New Zealand haven’t done that and probably don’t have many options in terms of that at the moment. It might be a stop gap for two Test matches but it’s an opportunity for someone else and you never know what might happen.”
Micko
Roar Rookie
Apparently not.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
aha. I see. .. Will the last one out of South Africa please turn the lights off.
Sourav Chakraborty
Guest
Devcich may be the right substitute of Raval. But he is not considered of Aus tour.
Micko
Roar Rookie
dungerBob Another African :cricket: import for the kiwis! :silly:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Plus, if I was the NZ selector: *Drop Santner and get a decent spinner in like Somerville, who could do well in Australia.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Essentially they should've used the England Tests as prep for Australian tour; *Give Ferguson his debut instead of playing Henry, once Boult was ruled out injured. *Replace Raval with an opener who might actually do better here. *Have a D/N test.
Cigar Field Sobers
Roar Rookie
You’re right there Micko, which makes it all the more inexplicable that they have made such a hash of prep for this tour. If they get reamed again they have no case to demand further consideration as a Boxing Day test candidate, and with Raval, to say the squad is selected for the England and Australia series and that’s that, is utter lunacy : you have the capacity to draft in other players at any stage to suit your situation. Nope, after waiting all those years, they’ve blown it, and that’s a shame.
Blundell is a thowback to the Kiwi Cricketer of the late 1970's....medium talent, but gutsy as hell. I believe he can do a job for the Kiwis starting Boxing Day. I wouldn't find it difficult to believe he could bat a couple sessions, look like rubbish, but be 80 not out at tea...he is that type of player. He certainly will give a better account of himself than Raval, whom I predicted before the series would be a disaster.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Agree with the article and Riccardo’s comment. My question is why couldn’t they draft in an opener immediately after Perth as cover?
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Santner doesn't seem to get many revs on the ball and I put it down to his one armed action. There just doesn't seem to be enough energy there to really turn it. That same lack of energy limits his drift as well. .. It really is a strange action. I can't get over it tbh.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Riccardo, who's Conway?
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
We all feel that way when it comes to dealing with India. .. I'm gunna assume NZ could have said no to the pink ball test and it wouldn't have stopped the tour or anything. As far as I can see NZ has always been supportive of the d/n concept anyway. They may have even wanted to play it.
Kiwi in East Perth
Guest
Test Match Openers for NZ have always been a struggle. We always seem to try to convert natural stroke players in the middle into Openers and it never works eg. Guptil, McCullum, Nicholls could be developed as a Test Match Batsman, he is a naturally defensive player with a temperament suited to Opening. I really can't seem him moving to 4 when Taylor retires and think his future is at the Top. The issue is what to do now. We just need someone to Bat at the first Hour and take the shine off the ball, protect their wicket and take the pressure off Williamson and Taylor. I hope Raval proves everyone wrong but i think he is going to get eaten alive at the MCG. Nicholls is worth a gamble and then give him time to develop as an Opener at least until someone else better suited comes along.
AREH
Roar Guru
At the risk of too much change and unsettling, I doubt they would open with Nicholls and insert Blundell at 5, but it might be more profitable at this point. Still, they backed Raval for five consecutive tests, without an obvious replacement, so need to honour it now.
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's because they are the little brother, plus NZ agreed to this because kiwis are desperate to be part of the marquee Boxing Day & New Year's Tests. It's been over 30 years since NZ have played a Test in either Melbourne or Sydney.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Young rehabbing from a shoulder reconstruction. Should be back in domestic stuff next month. Guppy's best place is down the order; his footwork and leaving at Test level has been found out a few times now. Conway is not clear till September 2020 and Rutherford has concussion issues as well. I'm afraid the cupboard is rather bare and this issue should have been addressed at least a month ago...
OzNix
Roar Rookie
Shame that Young is still injured and that Conway has to wait until September 2020 for his New Zealand passport. Both would be automatic inclusions in this Blackcaps XI. Blundell will struggle just as much at the top of the order as Raval. It’s not worth tinkering with the batting order to promote Henry Nicholls, as stats clearly show he scores the most runs when he bats at #5. The problem is magnified by the fact that Latham also prefers to bat down the order. Apart from Williamson, he’s the best player of spin. Given the limited options I’d go with Raval at the top of the order for now. If nothing else, he has a solid defensive game and if he puts his mind to it, can block the Australian new ball combination for long enough to tire them out. Williamson, Taylor and Nicholls can then (hopefully) cash in on some tired Australian bowlers. Optimistic I know. I also believe that Somerville should have played instead of Santer in Perth. I guess given the current batting frailties, Santer was also going to get the nod, especially after his debut century against the Poms. Big questions need to be asked of the NZC administrators. Surely there should have been a warm up game against a CA XI or a Western Australian XI? Why did they agree to a D/N fixture first up? Why agree to a D/N fixture in Perth? I feel like they’ve been bullied into a second-rate arrangement by CA because for whatever reason NZC still behaves like the little brother in the trans-Tasman relationship. They should have pushed back on the itinerary for a more equitable outcome.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
I was wondering what the hell happened to Young? How long is he been injured for and likely return date? They need a solid opening base. I'd would of even been tempted to bring Guptil out here? Or is he now just a White Ball mercenery these days? Blundell most definitely not the solution.
Brian
Guest
They may as well try Blundell or Mitchell, they also had a young guy Phillips who made 100 against England in their warm-up game.Isn't Neesham also still around? They should just try something cause Ravaal is just a walking wicket.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
First sentence has an error...suggest you remove "NZ". All selectors have strange vagaries not just yours!