Black Caps have to kick losing habit AT A GLANCE
Summer was yet to tick over on the 2019 calendar the last time the Black Caps won a game of cricket.
That’s nearly 10 weeks ago now, when Neil Wagner cavorted on the Bay Oval outfield after bowling New Zealand to a first test victory against England on November 25.
Whether a return to the same venue for tonight’s fifth and final Twenty20 international against India sparks a turnaround, no one knows, but the bemused Black Caps will take anything to rediscover that winning feeling after four tests and four T20s without one.
Accentuating the positive, rather than dwelling on three deflating Super Over defeats in their past five T20 internationals, falls to the coaching staff at 4-0 down – as New Zealand were in the ODI series against India a year ago before winning game five in Hamilton.
‘‘We’ve still been playing some good cricket. The series should be 2-all and confidence wise you’d be sweet. It’s just that finishing off; the guys are hitting the ball well and bowling well so it’s just that
Black Caps v India, fifth Twenty20 international
Bay Oval, Tauranga 8pm tonight
India $1.57, NZ $2.28 finishing a game. When you do that the confidence does pick up,’’ assistant coach Luke Ronchi said yesterday.
‘‘The guys are still going well and they’re in a space they need to be in to win games of cricket. We shouldn’t be too down on how we’re going.’’
Potentially matchwinning half-centuries from Colin Munro and Tim Seifert fitted that bill; as did a superb fielding effort and an effective spin duo Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner who took 4-52 off a combined eight overs.
Then we have the Super Over. It used to be a novelty but the horrors of being on the wrong side are now familiar to New Zealand fans.
The Black Caps remain victorious in just one of their eight Super Over contests; the most recent spanning separate months as January 31 became February 1 during the Friday night shootout at Sky Stadium.
But rather than pointing the finger at Munro and Seifert who scored just 13 off Jasprit Bumrah, or Tim Southee whose first two deliveries went for six and four via KL Rahul, they know they shouldn’t have played past midnight at all.
As in Hamilton two nights earlier you could count several times the New Zealand batsmen should have put the game to bed chasing 166 to win.
Needing seven off Shardul Thakur’s final over with Ross Taylor on strike and Seifert in control at the other end, it was game over. For a second successive match Taylor couldn’t guide them home, as he skied one to deep mid-wicket, and four wickets fell in six deliveries in scarcely believable scenes. They ended 165-7 with Santner run out after finding the off side sweeper needing two to win.
‘‘We were in a really strong position needing a run a ball for the last three overs with seven wickets in hand. It shouldn’t be getting to a Super Over from that point,’’ Ronchi said.
‘‘We’ve got to finish off better. The game before was the same we needed three off five. We have to kill the game earlier.’’
Ronchi said Southee wouldn’t be dwelling on another Super Over nightmare. ‘‘I don’t think your confidence should take too much of a beating because of that. Before that he’s bowled brilliantly and done a fantastic job [1-28 off four].’’
Still, all their bowling options would be explored if there was a next time, Ronchi said.
Opener Martin Guptill (knee) was given a clean bill of health after a painful outfield collision with Scott Kuggeleijn and is available for game five. So, too, could be captain Kane Williamson who sat out Wellington with a left shoulder problem but hasn’t been ruled out of Bay Oval.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli, meanwhile, had plenty to be excited about for his side who just know how to win and continue to seize the clutch moments. They even got home at the Cake Tin without rested trio Rohit Sharma, Ravi Jadeja and Mohammed Shami.
‘‘You couldn’t have asked for more two exciting T20s back-twoback. We had never played Super Overs before these two games and now we’ve played two back to back. It feels good when you’re out of the game, and then you come back . . . it shows the character of the team.’’
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