New Zealand will play five crucial T20Is against India to fine-tune their preparations for the World Cup. Here are some questions they will want to address ahead of the marquee event.
Who will be their openers at the World Cup?
New Zealand have four options for the opening slot at the World Cup: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra. Allen and Seifert haven’t been regulars in the T20I squad, with Conway and Tim Robinson - picked for the India tour and not the World Cup - opening and Ravindra batting at No.3 in the recent West Indies series.
But Allen and Seifert have been in fine form in the BBL this season. The former has scored 430 runs at a strike-rate of 186.14, and the latter has 285 runs at nearly 150. Both will miss the India T20Is but are expected to slot into the top three at the ICC event.
Going by just recent form, Ravindra, who managed just 79 runs in five matches against the West Indies batting at one-down, will likely sit out. Allen has only batted in the top two in his 52-match strong T20I career and is expected to take one of the two opening spots.
While Conway and Seifert have batted at one-down in the format, they haven’t done so in a long time, with the former’s last appearance at No.3 in T20Is coming in 2021 and the latter’s in 2024. This also opens an opportunity for Ravindra, who scored 578 runs at the 2023 World Cup in India, to stake a claim for the No.3 spot with a strong showing in the upcoming T20I series.
Can Mitchell, Ravindra, and Conway all play in the same XI?
Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra and Conway all featured together in all five games of New Zealand’s last T20I series, against the West Indies. They will likely all be picked in the XIs for the India series as well, but only one or two of the trio may play at the World Cup.
Conway is in direct competition with Allen and Seifert for the opening duties. Ravindra’s selection in the XI depends on how he performs against India and whether New Zealand think his experience at Chepauk, where he played for the Chennai Super Kings and the Kiwis play three group matches, could come in handy. Even then, he may have to stave off competition from Conway for the No.3 spot.
Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell and James Neesham are all favourites to feature in the middle order if fit, leaving Mitchell with only an outside chance of breaking in. Selecting the likes of Phillips and Neesham over him also gives the New Zealand side more balance. But if Mitchell picks up from where he left off in the recent ODI series and with a brilliant record in India, he could well bulldoze his way into the XI.
Who will replace Michael Bracewell if he isn’t fit on time?
Michael Bracewell sustained a left-calf strain during the third ODI against India and was ruled out of the first three T20Is. Fast-bowling all-rounder Kristian Clarke, who was the ODI series’ top wicket-taker with seven scalps, was named his temporary replacement.
With a plethora of injuries plaguing every other team in the lead-up to the World Cup, it is entirely possible that Bracewell doesn’t make it in time. But New Zealand may have a ready-made option in Glenn Phillips to take up the vacant space.
Phillips hasn’t played T20I cricket for over a year, but his recent form with the bat is promising, with knocks of 106 and 90* in his last five white-ball appearances. His off-spin could come in handy on subcontinent pitches as well. Now, he has five matches against favourites India to prove just that.
What will be New Zealand's contingency plan for multiple injuries and absences?
New Zealand have only recently welcomed the likes of Allen, Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner, among others, back from injuries. They are also currently without Bracewell and Adam Milne, who injured his left hamstring in the SA20.
The Kiwis may also be without Ferguson and Henry, who could be granted paternity leaves, for a brief period during the World Cup. This could leave their pace department thin, possibly leaving Jacob Duffy the only available quick. For now, they have named Kyle Jamieson, part of the India T20Is squad, as a travelling reserve for the big event, and he could be called upon if needed.
Clarke could be asked to stay back for the duration of the World Cup as well, while Mitchell, the only fast-bowling all-rounder alongside Neesham, may have to step up too. New Zealand will want to test these contingency plans in the upcoming series and be prepared, should any inconvenient situation arise during the World Cup.
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