New Zealand had a heartbreaking start to their Champions Trophy campaign after they had to settle for a single point against Australia. They were in a dominant position in the game and could have possibly won the match against their rivals. However, bad weather did not allow it to happen.
They are now readying up to take on the hosts England. But, the rains still continue to play a spoilsport. Outdoor practice sessions have become impossible and neither of the teams could practice outdoors.
Opener Martin Guptill, who has some experience of the unpredictable English weather, isn’t worried too much and is instead focussed on looking forward to the game.
“I’ve been here before playing for Derbyshire, and it hasn’t been great weather than either, but look, at the end of the day we can’t control the weather,” said Guptill. “So, whatever happens, tomorrow happens. We’ve just got to deal with it.
“We can’t let other results dictate the way we play. We still have to go out and do our things to be aggressive and take it to the opposition. If we take a step back, then we’ve already lost the game before stepping out there. So we’re just going to keep going the way we are.”
The Blackcap opener Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill gave a flying start to the innings against Australia. The stand, eventually proved very fruitful, as it paved way for his batting compatriots to post a decent total on the board. Guptill says that in general, he didn’t plan for a target, but played naturally.
“I never really know what to set our sights on, to be honest. I just sort of go out and play,” revealed Guptill. “If you have a total in mind and you don’t reach it, your team is going to be a bit disappointed. But, look, at the end of the day, if you can set a good platform, 300 is easily achievable, batting first or second. I just sort of play the same way, whoever I’m batting with. Obviously, since Brendon (McCullum) has retired, I’ve become a little bit more aggressive.”
“So that’s the key, it is just to set a good foundation for the rest of the team to be able to go big towards the end. I guess it gives a bit of stability. If you get two guys at the top that can get away, it can set the game up for a massive total, obviously. And if you lose a couple of wickets early, obviously you need someone to be able to build an innings and relay that platform for the rest of the order to come in and have a go at the end.”
New Zealand and England share many similarities. Similar strengths and weaknesses mean unpredictability which makes the competition very exciting. Guptill states that the Kiwis will play their natural game.
“I think it’s very much a new-look England side over the last couple of years and it’s worked very well for them. It’s sort of a similar brand of batting to the way we’ve gone about our business the last few years as well. So it’s probably going to be a pretty exciting game tomorrow and I think fans are looking forward to it.”
“We play our way. They play their way, which is a similar brand. And it works for both teams. You know at the end of the day they do their stuff; we do ours. So I don’t know about you guys, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”