At a glance
scoring rate – and the pressure it puts on those around him – has come into question in recent weeks.
He was similarly slow in his side’s loss to England at the World Cup in Australia earlier this month, where they fell 21 runs short chasing 180. Williamson’s absence from tonight’s match ensures there won’t be a third instance of him clogging up the works in a run chase in the space of three weeks, but his team-mates will have to do better than they did on Sunday if they’re to avoid a series defeat. The captain didn’t have much in the way of support, with Devon Conway’s 25 off 22 the next-highest score as they sought to respond to an Indian innings fuelled by Suryakumar Yadav’s breathtaking knock of 111 off 51.
Finn Allen has failed to build on his breakthrough innings against Australia at the World Cup, while Jimmy Neesham also hasn’t made the contributions he would have liked to – though he has had to come in to bat in some tough situations as a result of his team-mates’ slow-going at the top of the order.
If Stead looks to make changes beyond replacing Williamson, it might be Neesham who makes way, giving both Bracewell and Chapman the chance to play and audition for greater roles.