Williamson rues ‘small margins’ in Black Caps’ defeat

New Zealand’s mini tour of India is over and while a series win remained elusive, there was enough to keep us interested. Cricket writer picks five talking points from the tour.

Kane Williamson believes his New Zealand team enhanced their reputations despite twice falling agonisingly short of breakthrough cricket series victories in India.

The Black Caps returned home yesterday, some to rejoin domestic cricket next week and prepare for the West Indies series starting on December 1, after losing the Twenty20 decider by six runs.

In an unfulfilling finale at the impressive new stadium at Thiruvananthapuram, New Zealand’s 61-6 wasn’t enough to overhaul India’s 67-5 in the rainreduced eight-over match on a tricky pitch. It also saw them relinquish the T20 world No 1 ranking to Pakistan, after they’d grabbed it back with victory in game two.

After losing by the same margin in the ODI series finale for another 2-1 defeat, the Black Caps are yet to win a series of three or more matches in India across the formats. Yesterday’s was their third decider in India in the past 13 months, all with the same result.

‘‘In both of them [deciders] we were very good, just not quite good enough. Both of them came down to the last couple of balls and when that is the case it’s such small margins,’’ Williamson said.

‘‘There’s still a way to go to where we want to be but we showed some really good signs. It’s such a fine line, especially in white-ball cricket and we saw that throughout this series.’’

In the ODI decider at Kanpur, New Zealand were spurred by

MATCH POINT PASS MARK

Three times in 13 months New Zealand have played for their first series victory in India. Three times they’ve lost; by just six runs in the ODI and Twenty20 deciders this past fortnight.

It may sound funny to say, but the Black Caps’ dual 2-1 series defeats still earned them a pass mark. It had potential for a whitewash: coming off a four-month international hiatus, against a powerful Indian side at home, and there were enough ticks to be made in red marker pen. The first ODI win in Mumbai was the Black Caps’ best since the 2015 World Cup semifinal.

The glaring issue for this side remains stringing together back-toback performances, and winning big series deciders or tournament knockout matches away from home.

ALL-ROUND ISSUE

With Corey Anderson recovering from back surgery and Jimmy Neesham trying to impress in domestic cricket, it was Colin de opener Colin Munro’s 75 off 62 balls as they reached 331-7 to fall six runs short of India.

Munro was one to repay the selectors’ faith, and cement a spot at the top of the order, while Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi all emerged with credit.

Latham solidified the middle Grandhomme’s time to shine. He didn’t exactly put his name in lights, and despite de Grandhomme being a lock-in for the first test against West Indies in Wellington on December 1, the allrounder spot will continue to be a hot topic.

The power-hitting medium pacer scored 41 in a losing cause at Pune and couldn’t guide them home in the decider at Kanpur, but his bowling was the worry. Figures of 1-124 from 19 ODI overs (economy rate 6.52) and 0-44 off four in T20 caused captain Kane Williamson headaches with his fifth bowling option, and leaves the jury still out on de Grandhomme.

It’s a very tough job to do well, but there’s enough incentive for order with some superb knocks at No 5, notably the clinical run chase in Mumbai. Still, finishing off a chase remains a work-on for the side after getting so close in both deciders.

‘‘At times guys got out playing for the cause and that’s what you want to see because you know if they come off they’ll make a differ- Sean Solia, Scott Kuggeleijn or Logan van Beek to go big in domestic cricket and at least enter the conversation.

BATTING BALANCE

While we’re talking Colins, the other was a success story of the tour. Colin Munro couldn’t make the Champions Trophy squad but is now locked in as Martin Guptill’s opening partner for the ODI and T20 summer.

Given a defined role and licence to play his natural game, Munro outshone Guptill. Munro’s two big knocks showed the value of a Brendon McCullum-esque blaster at the top to set up a total. Consistency is now his challenge. ence. That’s something we encourage,’’ Williamson said.

Opener Martin Guptill was below his best while allrounder Colin de Grandhomme didn’t nail his big audition in a country he’s shone for Kolkata in the IPL.

Otherwise the bowlers were good, headed by Boult who was outstanding in trying conditions

The move to install Tom Latham at five was a masterstroke, too, and his glovework remained sound. The way he guided the run chase home in Mumbai, with backup from Ross Taylor, was a carbon copy of the role coach Mike Hesson saw for him.

SPIN TWINS

Unwanted for the ODIs, Ish Sodhi again proved his worth in T20 with five wickets at 14.6 and economy rate of 7.3 - both better than New Zealand’s top bowler Trent Boult. The way he’s utilised across the home season will be intriguing, though, with Mitchell Santner still the No 1 white ball spinner and a better batsman.

On home pitches two spinners across the six matches. Spin duo Santner and Sodhi also earned high praise from the skipper after strangling the high-quality Indian batting lineup in tandem.

When the reduced Eight8 match finally got under way, after a twoand-a-half hour rain delay, the Black Caps looked to have done well to restrict the hosts to 67-5. rarely get a run, and Sodhi was challenged to improve his fitness, batting and fielding when dropped for Todd Astle, who then got injured. Still, Sodhi’s matchwinning qualities are clear with that deadly wrong ‘un, and his combination with Santner remains a trump card for New Zealand when surfaces suit. The latter, catching bloopers aside, had a strong tour and fielded brilliantly in the finale.

BOULT’S BACK

Not that he ever left, but New Zealand’s premier strike bowler went to another level in the Indian heat. Trent Boult’s spell in the Mumbai sauna was top quality pace, swing and intensity, and showed the benefits of a two month break after a punishing past year.

If he’s well handled with the occasional freshen up over the summer, Boult could cause visiting batsmen nightmares at home at 145kmh and will hold the key to beating England with the swinging pink Kookaburra in March. Santner, after some bad misses in previous matches, was outstanding with a grass-high catch and another spectacular leaping assist for de Grandhomme.

But the damp, tacky surface where the ball gripped and turned wasn’t great for chasing and India’s accurate attack sensed their chance. In such a short match it became a lottery but the hosts were better before a raucous crowd. De Grandhomme cleared the rope twice in his 17 not out but they needed at least one more as wickets fell regularly.

‘‘It was a tricky surface and to get eight an over on that, from India’s point of view, was a good effort. We knew it was going to be tough and we got very close,’’ Williamson said.