India tour of New Zealand 2020 - 5 T20Is, 3 ODIs, 2 Tests

[asprin]

Reporter: How many super overs would you like to participate in?
New Zealand: Yes!

You gotta feel for them really. KW looked class apart. But honestly, and I don't believe I'm saying this, Shami should have gotten the MoM. NZ had this in the bag at the start of 20th over. 2 off 4 with KW on strike and batting on 95 would have meant NZ win 9/10. Fortunately for India, this was the 1/10 chance.

 

[abhi_jacko]

Remember Deccan chargers Days when he used to finish off games just like he did today.

I dont actually ... Chargers seems so far away in the past. What a cracking batting lineup they used to have[DOUBLEPOST=1580297854][/DOUBLEPOST]

Good reverse jinxing.

haha .. desperate times

Super Overs really test my heart rate

 

[Bevab]

Williamson the batsman sure does, but Williamson the captain? He is responsible for half the mess this NZ team currently is.

To add onto this, I've been critical of the NZ selectors for a long time with their questionable decisions like Southee over Henry in ODIs, Munro, Sodhi and CdG being persisted with continuously and Santner in tests for a long time.

This team escapes criticism from the wider cricketing world largely because they see the Black Caps as an underdog and likeable outfit that seems to be always punching above their weight. While this was true a decade or two ago, this current side has the potential to be a top class team and is being held back due to very questionable selections and negative, predictable tactics in most games. Not much was spoken here of their horror tour down under where they were consistently outmatched and outplayed in every game for example, while England got trashed for their horror show three years ago and India or South Africa would receive the same weere they to lose so badly.

• For starters, I think Munro needs to be taken away from the side. He has been successful in the past in T20Is but is a very limited batsman as shown by how easily he has been restricted in the last two games. Australia learnt their lesson with a similar player in Lynn and the sooner NZ does, the better.
  
• CdG at four was a decent experiment that allowed Roscoe to truly find his role in T20Is but it is clear that he lacks the temperament for a number four and is lost when he has to face spin or even quality pace. He should be batting at six or seven, if at all he belongs in this side. I think his best format is tests personally.
  
• Neesham being neglected continuously boggles my mind, when he is equally capable with the bat like CdG and is a superior bowler too. He seems to play well under pressure (his WC century and of course the final performance) and should be one of the first choice picks.
• Seifert is a top order player currently shunted to the middle order and as clearly shown, lacks the ability to handle pressure in big moments. Doesn't seem to be a good keeper either. He is decent with the bat and has shown skill to play proper shots and aggressive knocks too. He should be in the top three if he is playing.
• Southee is absolutely useless in the death overs and has been a questionable white ball cricketer for a while now. As @LiveLoveABD suggested, he seems similar to Broad who could be expensive with the white ball but are good in tests on their day and useful workhorses. Focusing exclusively on tests could do him a world of good like it did for Broad. At his current pace levels, he is nothing but cannon fodder when he isn't fully accurate and he is not the type of player who bowls with pinpoint accuracy in every over.
  
• Sodhi isn't great, but there aren't any real wrist spinning alternatives out there and his experience in Australia with the big boundaries might be useful. Astle might be some competition for him now that he is retired from first-class cricket.
  
• Bennett has gone for runs but he has been arguably the best bowler in the domestic T20 scene over the last few years. He needs to bowl quicker like in those domestic games if he is to be threatening though. Could be a useful backup if he can work that out.
  
• Phillips was very bad when he was last tried, but the bloke has overseas T20 experience and can keep too. Might be worth a recall. Conway should be one of the first names in the playing XI once he is eligible, South Africa's biggest regret in recent times could potentially be him.

This would give them a playing XI of

1. Guptill
2. Seifert/Phillips/Conway(once eligible)
   
3. Williamson
4. Mitchell? Or Phillips? Maybe Young or Chapman?
   
5. Roscoe
6. Neesham/CdG
7. Santner/CdG
8. Kuggeleijn/Bennett/anyone but Southee
   
9. Sodhi/Astle/Santner(if only one spinner is required)
   
10. Ferguson
11. Boult

I wouldn't mind seeing Williamson down at four if Seifert or Phillips impresses and Conway translates his domestic form to the international stage. He is the most adaptable world-class batsman out there and can bat at a good strike rate with consistent boundaries and strike rotation in any phase of the game right now. That would give them the license to go all out attack in the powerplay with their top three with two very good batsman to follow and a hitter or two down the order to finish it off.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Mistakes committed by the Kiwis at crucnh moments cost them the game. The catch of Jadeja that was dropped in the 20th over cost them as he added 9 runs to the total. Santner at 4 is beyond my understanding. And they went for Southee in the Super over is actually a blunder they committed.

For India I felt that 220-230 was on the cards but they just lost their way. Infact it felt like they took their foot off the peddle after the start of 8th over. Great to see Pandey utilise his opportunity that too in a different role where he hasn't batted much. There are still obvious concerns over the middle order.

I felt that Bumrah was actually feeling the pressure today and wasn't bowling well at times. The fielding just clearly regressed right from the time the Proteas toured India.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Seifert is a top order player currently shunted to the middle order and as clearly shown, lacks the ability to handle pressure in big moments. Doesn't seem to be a good keeper either. He is decent with the bat and has shown skill to play proper shots and aggressive knocks too. He should be in the top three if he is playing.

Pretty much like what KL Rahul is for India. Seifert seems to be in Rahul mould right since the start and is needed to be grommed as a top order batsman.

CdG at four was a decent experiment that allowed Roscoe to truly find his role in T20Is but it is clear that he lacks the temperament for a number four and is lost when he has to face spin or even quality pace. He should be batting at six or seven, if at all he belongs in this side.

I feel is like Ross Taylor does well when he gets that time and batting him lower than CdG doesn't make sense. To say the harsh truth, CdG clearly lacks skills to be a number 4 ! And I agree with your point, he is meant to be a Test player as ODI and T20Is aren't his strong formats to say the least.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Williamson the batsman sure does, but Williamson the captain? He is responsible for half the mess this NZ team currently is.

Yeah, he's been off post the 2019 WC. This Taylor batting down the order is just madness. Can't also understand when these guys will understand that Southee needs to be made a red ball bowler.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

I think, in fact, I think if otherwise then it's pathetic but both Rohit and Kohli should sit out the next game. Shreyas Iyer should lead, Samson should open with Rahul. Iyer at 3, Pant at 4 and Pandey at 5 with the two all rounders at 6 and 7 (Sundar, not Jadeja). Kuldeep in for Chahal, Saini for Bumrah.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

I think, in fact, I think if otherwise then it's pathetic but both Rohit and Kohli should sit out the next game. Shreyas Iyer should lead, Samson should open with Rahul. Iyer at 3, Pant at 4 and Pandey at 5 with the two all rounders at 6 and 7 (Sundar, not Jadeja). Kuldeep in for Chahal, Saini for Bumrah.

Agreed. It doesn't make sense to play them now considering we already won the series and there are still 3 ODIs and 2 Tests left. They can get that much needed rest and new players can get chances.

 

[Master Bates]

Pant at 4 and Pandey at 5

Agreed with you except this! Pandey has to play before Pant. And in the IPL, he did better at no. 3 and Iyer has done well at 4 in internationals. Just a small change.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Agreed with you except this! Pandey has to play before Pant. And in the IPL, he did better at no. 3 and Iyer has done well at 4 in internationals. Just a small change.

I agree with you, but Manish has himself asked to bat 5 and 6 and it seems to me that he's being groomed for the finisher's role.

 

[abhi_jacko]

Dont mind Samson in place of Pant, but why as an opener ? That is not really going to help much even if he scores a 50 since the opener slots are fixed

Also, is Kuldeep injured? When will he get a chance ?[DOUBLEPOST=1580454598][/DOUBLEPOST]Samson seems worse than Pant when it comes to throwing away his wicket .. this is not going to help his case at all

 

[abhi_jacko]

Dube also just threw it away for no reason ...

What a collapse. We have a very long tail today. Run a ball get us to 140+, which we will gladly take now

 

[Bevab]

I don't agree with Samson ahead of Pant, wonder what Pant did to merit being dropped for Samson out of all people. And as an opener? When we can barely fit Dhawan in there?

Pandey seems like a decent insurance policy against the top three collapse that happens every once in a while and hasn't done too badly in finishing games with the constant strike rotation and boundaries via smart shot selection like Jadhav. I seriously doubt his utility when we need to chase scores in excess of 200 where the top order doesn't make a huge contribution.

Is the team waiting to see how he works with a proper slogger like Pandya back to be the main finisher before deciding if it is him or Pant who should be playing?

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

This is where Munro becomes dangerous. Once he gets set he starts to take the game away from the opposition very quickly. Bowlers have to get their lines right to trouble him or he would keep smashing boundaries. Even Seifert have started to find boundaries.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

The poor fielding would cost India this game!