Munro ton guides Black Caps to top spot
Mike Hesson’s hypothesis and predictions were sound – Colin Munro is looking like a fine limited overs opening batsman.
For the series against India, Munro was promoted to the top of the order alongside Martin Guptill, creating what Hesson described as a ‘‘two-pronged’’ attack at the top.
The idea was that with Munro’s instinctive, aggressive strokeplay, fireworks could happen at the top of the order.
After blasting an unbeaten 109 from just 58 balls in leading the Black Caps to a series levelling 40-run win over India yesterday, Hesson’s experiment is working a treat.
With the victory in Rajkot, New Zealand returned to No 1 in the world rankings, after India’s big win in the opening match had knocked them down a spot.
Munro teamed with Martin Guptill at the top of the order, enjoying a 105-run partnership to start the innings, before Guptill fell for 45 in the 12th over.
The Auckland batsman never let up, and powered on to his century as New Zealand amassed 196-2 in their 20 overs.
Munro said he and Guptill are starting to build a healthy partnership with communication key between the pair. It also helps that Guptill faces the first ball.
‘‘That’s a tough role because the wicket could be sticky, it could be skiddy. He enjoys taking the first ball so it suits me down to a tee.’’
In five innings against India on this tour, Munro has scores of 75 and 109 not out opening the innings, along with three scores under 30.
That’s still an impressive tally for the new opener, and he said the important thing is not to dwell on any poor performances given his role.
‘‘I’ve always felt good in this format. It’s just a matter of it hasn’t quite clicked,’’ Munro said.
‘‘It’s one of those games where when you’re going well, you’re going really well, and when you’re not, you’re not.
‘‘For me it’s just a mind shift thing, not expecting too much of myself at this level or in Twenty20. It’s about staying as even as you can and I think I’ve done that over these past two years.’’
Munro said he found the most success when he watched the ball, rather than premeditating his shots.
‘‘The way I bat, it’s the same every time, whether I’m chasing or setting. It’s about watching the ball, stay still and try and hit every ball for four or six,’’ Munro said.
‘‘If it’s not there, then try and get off strike.
‘‘I was just talking with Craig McMillan, the batting coach, and I said when I tried to premeditate, it’s when I didn’t hit the ball that well. It was when I just stood there, watched the ball and tried to hit through the line as hard as I could that it came off.’’
With a decent total on the board, Trent Boult made sure the Black Caps had the upper hand by ripping the top off the Indian batting order with both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan falling in the second over.
Although India then started to build, moving to 65-2 with Virat Kohli starting to build an innings, Colin Munro then broke the partnership with a caught and bowled, before a miserly Ish Sodhi took the big wicket of Hardik Pandya.
While Kohli shared a handy partnership for MS Dhoni, India fell further and further behind the required rate.
Kohli eventual fell for 65 from 42 balls, Mitchell Santner snaring the wicket, while Dhoni was out in the final over as Boult claimed his fourth of the innings.
New Zealand play the decider in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday morning.