Black Caps steal the NZ sporting moment
At least there was one All Blacks-like performance last weekend, although it did not come from them or Taranaki, for that matter.
It was the outstanding victory by the Black Caps in India.
Winning on the sub-continent doesn’t come easy. Winning in India is a huge.
Such is India’s cricketing dominance at home, the one-day international victory is comparable to Australia beating the All Blacks if the game was played on a wet and windy day in Wellington.
Cricket is about winning the mental battles within the game, staying confident in all situations, and imposing your plan.
In India, the mental battle has also to be fought against huge crowds under the control of captain Virat Kholi, and a voracious press where every ball is dissected in detail.
There is also the physical battle, with the heat and humidity, which plays on any mental weakness. It is energy sapping and mind weakening stuff.
This victory was not ‘run-of-the-mill’ stuff. A six-wicket win was a clear indicator that the players and coaching staff had prepared well and were on task to do whatever it took to win and go one up in the three match series.
The aim now is to win the series and be the first country in two years to beat India in India.
It all started with the Brodie Retallick-Sam Whitelock pairing of Trent Boult and Tim Southee who grabbed seven of the eight wickets to fall including that of the great Kholi in a double act - caught Boult bowled Southee.
These two bowlers are as important to the Black Caps as are the locking pair to the All Blacks and with Boult back to his mercurial best, the side can expect plenty more success on this trip.
Physically he is no Retallick, but for skill and consistency of performance, they are comparible.
Colin Munro then started out in Damian McKenzie fashion with a darting performance of hits and misses when he opened the batting, while the experienced Martin Guptill, at his best another Ben Smith, threatened to ‘go big’ but fell short on this occasion.
The performance of Tom Latham was extraordinary. It was Sam Cane like in that a promising career was now being seized as he takes his seat at the top table. Full of confidence he played in a style that he has developed for the Indian conditions full of sweeps and reverse sweeps, which will have sent a clear message that he is in control of his own destiny from now on.
Then there was Ross Taylor, the man they need to be successful if the team are to play well, the Beauden Barrett of the group.
His well thought out and focussed performance, plus the belief that was passed on to Latham, saw him back at his best. It was as refreshing as seeing Barrett take off on one of his gliding runs with a kick and catch included.
The trick now is to keep winning. That is what the All Blacks are good at. A drop in the standards, something cricket fans have come to accept over the years, should not be tolerated by the players.
This is a huge opportunity to step forward and earn the respect of the cricket world and a tough New Zealand sporting public.