Black Caps seamers under scrutiny
The Black Caps are back in action tonight – and this time they should be competitive.
You don’t often see the national men’s cricket team taking what was almost a threeweek break in January, during the height of the New Zealand summer. But after what the test side went through in Australia, losing each of the three matches by more than 240 runs, it was a respite they probably needed.
Only five of the team from that tour are involved in the Twenty20 series against India – Kane Williamson, Colin de Grandhomme, and Ross Taylor in the heart of the batting lineup, and Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner leading the way with the ball.
The game’s shortest format is inherently a leveller and five compelling contests no doubt await, starting tonight at Eden Park in Auckland.
India were last in New Zealand last February, for a pair of whiteball series, and it was the Black Caps who got up in the Twenty20 component won 2-1.
India didn’t have their talisman, Virat Kohli, in that series, nor Jasprit Bumrah their standout white-ball bowler, so
At a glance
Black Caps v India, Twenty20 international series Black Caps squad: Kane Williamson (c), Hamish Bennett, Tom Bruce (matches 4-5) Colin de Grandhomme (matches 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner.
India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja, Sanju Samson, Shardul Thakur.
Fixtures: Friday, January 24, 7.50pm: 1st T20 at Eden Park, Auckland Sunday, January 26, 7.50pm: 2nd T20 at Eden Park, Auckland Wednesday, January 29, 8pm: 3rd T20 at Seddon Park, Hamilton Friday, January 31, 8pm: 4th T20 at Sky Stadium, Wellington Sunday, February 2, 8pm: 5th T20 at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
they will be stronger this time, even with Shikhar Dhawan ruled out with a shoulder injury.
The Black Caps will be able to
call on opening batsman Martin Guptill, who was injured a year ago, but won’t have speedster Lockie Ferguson, who played in the first two matches of the 2019 series, but is currently recovering from a calf strain.
In Ferguson’s absence, and with Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry, and Adam Milne also in the recovery ward, the spotlight will fall on the Black Caps’ raw-looking seam attack.
Southee will lead the attack, while Santner and Ish Sodhi will be good for eight overs for spin, but the visitors will fancy their chances of exploiting the other eight. How the recalled Hamish Bennett, Scott Kuggeleijn and Blair Tickner fare – plus allrounder Daryl Mitchell – could go a long way to deciding the series.