1 2 3 4 Get on the Dance Floor
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By Rahul Patil
With Afghanistan beating defending champions England in their last game and Netherlands beating South Africa there were a few questions floating around as to how long the blackcaps could maintain their unbeaten run. As it turns out a 149-run victory over Afghanistan in Chennai has not only helped New Zealand reclaim the top position on the points table but also shown some of the other teams how to play the ODI format.
In a long tournament a couple of batting collapses are inevitable. Good teams though tend to find ways to minimize the loss of blood during such collapses. When New Zealand lost 3 wickets in 9 balls for 1 run Latham and Phillips shut shop for about 20 overs and navigated their way through the turbulence. A push here, a nudge there, a single here, a couple there. The odd boundary was also scored but good solid defense was largely their modus operandi.
The result was a 144-run partnership in 153 balls which took the blackcaps to safety. Chapman and Santner then provided the icing on the cake putting on 33 in 16 balls. New Zealand finished on 288 for 6 which looked impossible at one stage when they were reeling at 112 for 4. This is the beauty of ODI cricket though. It gives you time to make a comeback and hence the better team wins more often than not.
Of course, it is easier to resurrect a collapse while batting first. There is no scoreboard pressure, you can take your time, soak up the pressure and once you get set you can once again attack the bowling at the appropriate time. England and South Africa collapsed while chasing but they also didn’t bother to take the game deep.
A quick word on the Mark Chapman situation. He has played all four matches so far. He didn’t bat or bowl in the game against England or in the game against Bangladesh and he couldn’t get going against Netherlands when he came in to bat in the 42nd over. A few people are questioning his place in the side. I too have suggested that if Ish Sodhi comes into the side, then it should probably be at the expense of Chapman. But on days like this one we realize his true worth. Latham and Phillips could take their time because they knew that Chapman has the power to provide a strong finish. They could also shift gears a bit early because they knew that if a wicket fell then Chapman and Santner are extremely capable finishers themselves.
Afghanistan did many strange things today. They chose to field in 33 degrees heat and almost 80% humidity. Their best chance of winning was to put a decent score on the board and then try to build pressure using their spinners. Yet they chose to field first. Their fielding today was pathetic. Will Young was dropped on 1. He went on to make 54. Rachin was dropped on 0. He went on to make 32. Latham was dropped twice on 35 and 38. He went on to make 68. Primary school kids would have held on to the chances offered by Latham. Compare that to Santner’s effort to dismiss the Afghan captain and you will know the vast difference between the two sides. At many stages of the game, it seemed like only one team wanted to win this contest.
The Afghan batting had a collapse of their own. Five of their top six got into double figures but failed to convert it into a big innings. Their last four wickets fell within 8 balls and added only five runs. Afghanistan qualified directly for this World Cup by virtue of their ODI cricket ranking. Therefore, when they beat a bigger team, it is not an upset anymore. Their next challenge now is to follow up a good performance with another good performance and try to win back-to-back games.
From the flat coastal plains of Chennai, the blackcaps now travel to arguably the most scenic cricket ground in the world – Dharamsala which has an average elevation of 1457 mts above sea level. They face India and Australia there. The blackcaps have been India’s nemesis in world events and the way the Aussies are currently playing we should start as favorites against them. So, can we dream about 6-0? Nah lets just be happy about 1 2 3 4 and get on the dance floor, shall we?
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