Blackcaps vs India: ODI Series Sweepers
With regards to the Blackcaps in this ODI series specifically, it's been rather fun to watch this group playing cricket against quality opposition. For wider kiwi cricket matters, this ODI series has been part of an excessively weird few weeks in which India swept the kiwis in the T20 series via a couple super over things, the the Blackcaps swept India in the ODI series, all of which was going down while South Africa swept the White Ferns in their ODI series followed by a T20 series that is currently at 3-1 with a game to go. If that's a bit wordy, here's it laid out...
Blackcaps vs India
T20: 0-5.
ODI: 3-0.
White Ferns vs South Africa
ODI: 0-3
T20: 3-1.
There is no more white ball cricket for the Blackcaps for a month when they will face Australia in three ODIs and two T20Is. Being swept by India in T20I cricket with a typically odd group of cricketers suggests that plenty needs to be sussed out ahead of the T20 World Cup in October. That's a fair way away though, making it easier to view this ODI series in isolation.
I couldn't shake the feeling of fun in watching this group go about their work and this is seems to be a direct result of opting to go with the Blackcaps flow, rather than highlighting every weird decision - selections or resting various blokes at different times. This is a fascinating summer for kiwi cricket and we only need to think about new players coming into this group across the different formats, then how well the likes of Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips (Tests) and Kyle Jamieson (ODI) have performed.
Not a whole lot is going to be the same for the Blackcaps moving forward, after an incredibly settled few years. Different players have emerged to put pressure on the top-tier, although the top-tier are still dominating and it was the mix of cricketers used in this ODI series that amped up the funk. Hamish Bennett could barely run to chase the ball while fielding and all his cricketing mannerisms suggest that he's well, rather old but Bennett was rather effective when steaming in.
There can't be many people around Aotearoa who would have rolled with a three-pronged frontline seamer trio of Tim Southee, Bennett and Jamieson at the start of the summer. That's exactly what we got though and despite this being a series in which every innings featured scores of 250+, thus bloating bowling stats for everyone except Yuzvendra Chahal (only bowler to average below 30), Bennett and Jamieson offered impact and influence.
Bennett and Jamieson both look like they could bowl heat, neither do. I'm sure if you caught Bennett well rested, on a glorious day and a fast track he may be able to crack 140km/h and if Jamieson was fired up, I mean like nek level fired up because he was rather aggressive for a fresh international cricketer (which is fantastic), Jamieson would definitely crank it up over 140km/h. However, they don't have to bowl heat and both showcased skill, craft and confidence throughout this series.
I wrote this in my last Blackcaps entry after Jamieson nipped a ball back between Prithvi Shaw's bat and pad to skittle his stumps and I'll highlight Jamieson's skill again after he skittled the stumps of Mayank Agarwal in the third ODI. The dismissal of Shaw saw Jamieson nip it back off the seam, then in dismissing Agarwal, Jamieson angled the ball into the right-hander and some late swing/splash of seam saw Jamieson beat the outside edge.
That's a 25-year-old lad playing in his first couple ODI game, moving the ball both ways in rather favourable batting conditions. Sure, Jamieson's really, really tall and that helps. That doesn't do Jamieson justice though as he proved himself to be accurate, patient and skillful with the confidence to excute against some of the world's best. Jamieson was also the most economical bowler in this series, conceding 4.75rpo and Jamieson was the only bowler to concede less than 5rpo.
Facing Jamieson the first few times would be a niggly prospect and perhaps an under-rated idea to keep in mind is how hard it is for bowlers (and batsmen) to be effective over time. Think of Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who have been on the scene for a long time and how often they would have bowled to different batsmen, batsmen who become more and more comfortable with what these lads do.
Take Southee for example, who made his ODI debut in 2008 and has played 143 games. Every batsman will know he's an out-swinger, who can switch up with one that nips back and all of this is coming with variation in release points, then slower balls etc. They know what he's up to and certified international batsmen have a long history of dealing with what Southee offers.
I go down this route because even the best batsmen may struggle against a fresh prospect and it's all about what happens long-term. However, Jamieson faced Shaw and Agarwal in all three Aotearoa 'A' vs India 'A' 50-over games and those two would have had some comfort in having to deal with Jamieson's stature and skill. Not that it helped as Jamieson sent them both packing in this series and that's merely an interesting thought.
For the bowlers, Mitchell Santner's still in a weird position. Santner bowled 20 overs in his two games, without a wicket and wasn't as economical as he tends to be in conceding 5.85rpo. While Ish Sodhi flipped his trend around with decent white ball performances vs India, Santner picked up the negative trend from Sodhi and those who steadily question Santner's borderline automatic selection now have even more ammunition.
Mitchell Santner vs India
T20: 20ov, 3w @ 56avg/8.40rpo.
ODI: 20ov, 0w @ 000000000000000000avg/5.85rpo.
Mitchell Santner Annual ODI Breakdown
2018: 8w @ 45.37avg/4.78rpo.
2019: 10w @ 50.90/4.84rpo.
Other than fit and Santner looking like a slick cricketer, there is very little evidence to suggest he should be an automatic ODI selection. That puts a greater focus on Santner's work against Australia with the white ball and he is at a point where stuff has to start happening.
All the batting numbers are nice, except for Tom Blundell and Jimmy Neesham. Blundell didn't snare many runs in his two games batting #3 while Kane Williamson was out and if Blundell isn't going to be viewed as a wicket-keeper in ODI cricket, I'd lean towards there being better ODI options for that extra batsman role.
Blundell scored 31 runs in 2inns, Neesham scored 31 runs in 3inns. With 2w @ 77avg/6.03rpo, Neesham didn't appear to be overly effective with the ball either but he was a service-able bowling option who snared crucial wickets; Ravi Jadeja on 55 late in game two, Shreyas Iyer on 62 in the 31st over in game three.
That all-rounder bucket feels a lot like the spinner situation, where your favoured option is based on your (or my bias). At this stage, Neesham and Daryl Mitchell are in the mix, along with Santner and possibly Colin de Grandhomme. There are numerous combinations on offer and different ways to balance the team, all of which need to be figured out.
The most notable aspect of the Blackcaps batting were the openers, who got through the first 15 overs in all three games. Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls appear to have settled on a method that works for them and the team, which will likely see Colin Munro slide further away from the ODI set up. Compare how the Guptill/Munro combination worked together at the World Cup and it's a completely different scenario. Below is when Guptill and Munro were dismissed in World Cup games when they opened together...
vs Sri Lanka - whole game.
vs Bangladesh - Guptill 5.1ov/Munro 9.6ov.
vs Afghanistan - Guptill 0.1/Munro 7.5.
vs South Africa - Munro 2.1/Guptill 14.6.
vs WI - Guptill 0.1/Munro 0.5.
vs Pakistan - Guptill 1.1/Munro 6.2.
Here's the same, but for these three games against India...
#1 - Guptill 15.4ov/Nicholls 28.3ov.
#2 - Nicholls 16.5/Guptill 29.2.
#3 - Guptill 16.3/Nicholls 32.5.
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Peace and love 27.