Australia Vs New Zealand, at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, 2nd ODI - Match Preview
New Zealand have the chance to secure the series after they trashed the Aussie team by a whopping 159 runs in the first ODI match at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Kiwi batting looks strong on paper with Martin Guptill in great form and also Brendon McCullum who will be playing his penultimate ODI. McCullum will be eager to go out blazing and his 44 off 29 balls in the first match only serves a reminder of how dangerous he still remains. Kane Williamson, who tormented the Aussie's in the Test series recently was out for a rare 8 ball duck and he will be looking to get some runs under his belt before the ICC WT20 begins in March!
Henry Nicholls looks to be a fine find for the Kiwi team who lends solidity and who possesses the calmness and the temperament to wade through tough situations. Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson are a little short of runs but they are both class acts and one would write them off at their own peril. If they fail with the bat, they make sure to cover up with a few tidy overs and wickets.
The Kiwi bowling, though, is their real strength and makes a strong impact on the opposition. There is swing, pace, movement, variations and spin in their ranks. Trent Boult is once again swinging it, Henry is fast and furious, Elliott and Corey provide the variations and Santner gives the spin option. They literally blew away the strong Aussie batting line up reducing them to an embarrassing 41-6 in under ten overs.
Usman Khawaja will come in to the top order in place of Shaun Marsh and he will certainly be looking to make an impression on the selectors after being snubbed despite being in stellar form recently. All the Aussie batsmen failed spectacularly and will need to adjust to the threat of the moving ball. David Warner and Steve Smith in particular will have to take greater responsibility and see out the opening spell by Boult and Henry. Maxwell has also been quiet, his last three scores being 1, 3 and nought.
John Hastings has been the pick of the Aussie bowling since the India series and his figures of 1-39 stood out as Australia leaked 307 at Eden Park. Adam Zampa, a leg spinner, will in all probability make his debut and replace the injured James Faulkner.
New Zealand are a special unit playing under a Fantastico captain who is aggressive and who has instilled such confidence and daring in his boys that they believe that they can overcome any adverse situation. Australia have slumped dramatically after their 4 wins on the trot against India in the ODI series. They will need to lift themselves up tremendously after the mental scars that the Kiwis have inflicted on them in the first match if they are to have any chance to square the series.
This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.
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