T20 World Cup: Is it getting to a point of now or never for New Zealand?

Sydney: 2019 and 2021 — back-to-back ODI and T20I World Cup finals. Five consecutive semi-final appearances stretching back to 2015, when they also reached the final in a home World Cup. Throw in a World Test Championship win, in between, and there is no doubt that this is a golden era for New Zealand cricket.

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Last year’s T20 World Cup finalist, and two-time back-to-back ODI World Cup finalists, you would think the Black Caps had arrived in Australia as the clear favourites for this 2022 tournament. That, simply, wasn’t the case.

For most people, England is the team to beat. Then, there were also India and Pakistan, hosts and defending champions Australia, and voila, that was your semi-final line-up complete. Perhaps South Africa could have been considered the underdogs. Ask yourself, or anyone else who has religiously followed this World Cup, if New Zealand were ever in contention in our collective minds.

Their build-up to this tournament was quite weird. New Zealand didn’t play a single T20I between November 2021 and June 2022. Thereafter, they played Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands and the West Indies in bilateral engagements, 13 games in all. Sure, they won 12 of them, but you would expect them to. Even so, this wasn’t the preparatory run-up of a top T20 nation in this cricketing universe.

Then, came that rare T20I tri-series at home, involving Pakistan and Bangladesh. Of course, New Zealand reached the final, playing at home and all that. But therein, they lost to Pakistan twice – in the opening game and then again in the all-important final. No punter, for their money’s worth, could seemingly have placed bets on the Black Caps to go big in this World Cup.

Arriving in Sydney, it is almost as if a switch flipped for the Black Caps. They blew Australia away in the opening Super 12 game in Sydney – “blew away” being the underlying phrase here. There is no other way to describe it – this was the first 200-plus score of this tournament. Not to mention, Australia getting bowled out for 111 is the primary reason they were ousted from this World Cup on net run-rate.

Suddenly, you noticed the difference in this New Zealand set up. Martin Guptill replaced by Finn Allen, and Glenn Phillips settling into the middle order. These two young batsmen have already made a mark in the tournament – Allen blitzing the Aussies, and Phillips scoring that hundred against Sri Lanka. In doing so, they have become the only two batsmen from the same team in the top seven strike-rates in this World Cup.

Effectively then, New Zealand have added more firepower from last year, and in the T20 arena, that is never a bad thing. Along with Devon Conway, it brings about an improvement to the top-order, and helps balance things for Kane Williamson. In the first part of this tournament, he was struggling to get going and it made for some uncomfortable questions. A properly flowing and measured half-century against Ireland in the last game before the knockouts propped up the skipper comfortably as well.

As far as timing goes, it was certainly a well-calculated moment for Williamson. And by that stretch, it reflects onto the team as well. There is something mechanised about this Kiwi outfit, all of them knowing their roles well and working out, nay, executing the plans as they were laid out in the dressing room. Almost as if they don’t get a hair out of place, when they cross over onto the field.

Sample this. In this World Cup, among the top teams, New Zealand are the only side to have used five bowlers. Just five – three pacers and two spinners – the same bowlers in every game, and there has been no chopping or changing across any of the Super 12 matches. This quintet of bowlers have served New Zealand well – barring England, no team has crossed the 150-run mark against them.

Most other teams in this World Cup – India, Pakistan and England in particular – have made a habit of using six or more bowlers. It is almost par for course in T20 cricket – you need more than five bowling options. Hell, India played Deepak Hooda ahead of Rishabh Pant against South Africa, just so he could bowl an over, or two, if need arose.

Not New Zealand. They are calculated, and set in their plans, and it has worked so far. 20 wickets for the pacers, 14 for the spinners, and none of the five bowlers have gone for more than 8.13 an over across this tournament. It is a myopic way of doing things, especially in a format this unpredictable and explosive. Again, it just works for the Black Caps, strangely enough when you don’t expect it to work for other teams.

Two aforementioned words matter herein – calculative and unpredictable. If the former aptly describes New Zealand, then the latter is synonymous with Pakistan. The green brigade has lucked its way into the semi-finals, but have also generated enough momentum with back-to-back wins heading into the knockouts. Could it be enough to stop the Black Caps, who seem like a unit that has rounded up every possible weakness?

If so, then it would be a travesty really. New Zealand, on the back of some unprecedented form, have become a mainstay in ICC knockouts. Ever the bridesmaid, never the bride, is an adage they could own. They came close, in 2019, when a weird ruling stole away what could have been a rightful title triumph. It makes for some wonderment – does it impact them still, or at all?

“In a tournament, it is about that day. When you turn up, everybody wants to win. If you can find yourself in a position to get over the line, that’s a really good thing,” said Williamson in the pre-match conference.

As is his wont, it was a calm and collective response, measure even. You would think they want it badly enough, having come so close so often. Just that the Black Caps, led by the immaculate Williamson, never let any emotions escape them. And thereafter, you are left in wonderment. What if, Pakistan wants it more?

What will it take for some desperation, if at all, when it comes down to now or never for New Zealand?

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