World Cup can wait: Stead
Black Caps coach Gary Stead says trying to figure out the best side to beat India is his priority, not the World Cup.
A side with two changes from the eight-wicket series-opening defeat in Napier fared no better against India in Mount Maunganui on Saturday, losing by 90 runs.
Neither a changed bowling unit nor the same batting lineup made an impression against the visitors and Stead insisted he’s not fiddling with the makeup of the playing XI with this year’s World Cup solely in mind.
‘‘The World Cup is a little bit secondary still – we want to win this series first and foremost,’’ Stead said.
‘‘We’re just still working out what we think is our best XI and how we balance the team with the right number of allrounders versus bowlers versus batsmen.’’
More tinkering is now likely for game three of the five-match series at the same Bay Oval venue today, after Ish Sodhi and Colin de Grandhomme came in for Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee on Saturday.
‘‘We’re fortunate in New Zealand we’ve got some quality players fighting for places and yes, there is the big prize at the end of it but to be perfectly honest it’s still a secondary thing for me at the moment,’’ Stead said of the World Cup in England and Wales starting at the end of May.
‘‘It’s about working out in this series what we have to do to win three in a row now.’’
Stead said Santner was left out as a medical precaution as he works his way back from full fitness and was likely to play today.
That raises the prospect that New Zealand will field two spinners today after Stead said Sodhi – 0-43 off 10 overs while India were rampant batting first – ‘‘bowled beautifully’’.
Doug Bracewell may get another run after making his best ODI score of 57 off 46 balls at No 8 while his 10 wicketless overs cost 59.
New Zealand were never in the contest in the chase for 235 after skipper Kane Williamson fell after striking 18 runs off his previous four balls.
Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav took 4-45 as seven Black Caps perished to spin.
‘‘It’s not that we can’t play spin bowling – it’s just that we’ve taken some options that haven’t been the best options at times,’’ Stead said.
‘‘I have faith in our guys – it’s not like we can’t. Their two wrist spinners are very very effective bowlers. Our challenge is to find a way to be better.’’
Stead felt New Zealand’s performance was ‘‘improved, slightly’’ on the opening defeat.
‘‘Still obviously not a polished performance from us.
‘‘There were times in the game We were really behind the eightball, especially early on. They batted well and I was thinking it could have been 350-plus for a while there.
‘‘So I was pleased with the back end of our bowling performance and the work Doug Bracewell did in putting the partnership together was fantastic as well, and that’s really good signs.’’
Stead said a lack of partnerships among the batsmen were costly.
‘‘We haven’t built partnerships across the top six or seven and that was the whole strength of what we did against Sri Lanka.
‘‘Our guys have played enough cricket, they know you can’t rely on the lower order to win you those games – it’s got to be the top order to score the majority of the runs.’’
BRACEWELL’S CUP BID