New Zealand are a country that are blessed with several high quality pace bowlers who can single-handedly change the course of any match. They have so much depth and talent that Matt Henry, a man who has taken 48 wickets in just 24 ODI matches and has impressed almost everyone has not made the cut and will watch the Kiwi team play from the side-lines. Let us look at the two premier fast bowlers that the Kiwis are likely to field in the ICC WT20 in India and what impact they are likely to have on the supposedly dead Indian tracks.
Trent Boult
He is probably the best left arm pacer in the world right now along with the Australian Mitch Starc. Boult has a lovely run up to the wicket and a smooth and clean action. He has variations which include a vicious in-ducker and a lethally quick yorker. He is a master of swing bowling and in conditions where there is even an iota of assistance, he is virtually unplayable. His memorable spell of 5-3-3-5 in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 is amongst his best in the shorter formats of the game.
He will be more than a handful on the supposedly slow Indian tracks because he has all the variations and is experienced enough to bowl on such flat tracks. He also played in the IPL 2015 which has given him a better sense of the Indian tracks. He has been in tremendous form recently and has bagged a handful of wickets against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia in all formats of the game. He was the joint highest wicket-taker in the 2015 World Cup with 22 wickets.
Impact Rating – 7.5/10
Tim Southee
Tim Southee is the partner in crime with Boult, and together the two have often wreaked havoc and given sleepless nights to the opposition batsmen. Southee has the ability to generate late out swing at a high pace and this makes him a very dangerous customer to deal with. Just like Boult, Southee too possesses a very slippery yorker which he puts to good use in the death overs.
Although his economy rate in T20I’s is over 8 but still he remains their best bet in India given his experience and familiarity of Indian conditions. The fact that he is a big hitter of the ball low down the order can also prove very important in T20 format.
Impact Rating – 7/10
Adam Milne and Mitch McClenaghan
Adam Milne and Mitch McClenaghan are right and left arm fast bowlers who are capable of bowling at high speeds, often touching 150 kph and thus proving very hot to negotiate for the batsmen. McClenaghan played for the winning Mumbai Indians last year in the IPL and he performed admirably well so he could well come in for Boult or Southee if they are not in form and need to be replaced.
Combined Impact Rating – 7/10
The Kiwi pace battery is right up there with the very best and they can cause great impact with all their high all-round skills even on the supposedly flat Indian pitches.
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