ICC Champions Trophy 2017 – Captain’s Corner: Five Tactics New Zealand Can Use To Beat Australia

Nov 2, 2023 at 3:51 PM

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ICC Champions Trophy 2017 – Captain’s Corner: Five Tactics New Zealand Can Use To Beat Australia

Over the course of the last few years, New Zealand and Australia have had the better of each other on several occasions. The two finalists for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa and more importantly, the finalists of the ICC World Cup 2015, have put down enough punches on each other in the last few years. While we have Australia dominating the Blackcaps in Australia, New Zealand return the favour by bashing Australia in their backyard. As a whole, however, this Trans-Tasman rivalry has been among the fiercest rivalries in the game.

 

The sides, led by two enigmatic batsmen in the form of Steven Smith and Kane Williamson, will renew their rivalry at the picturesque Birmingham in their opening game of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy.

 

Placed in the group of death, there is no margin for error for either of the teams. Going into the game, Australia will be the overwhelming favourites, but that doesn’t mean New Zealand are written off. The Kiwis tend to pack a punch above their weight in ICC events and that has been a clear trend.

 

Below, we have a look at the five tactics which New Zealand can use to beat Australia at Birmingham.

  1. Martin Guptill must fire at the top:

In the modern day arena, the list of top run-getters is headed by the openers of several teams, be it Hashim Amla, Quinton De Kock, David Warner or Rohit Sharma. One individual who has risen sharply in that elite list since the last few years has been Martin Guptill. The Kiwi openers averages a staggering 43.66 at the top of the order and on his day, is a one man army. Guptill takes particular liking while batting in England, as the conditions are pretty similar to that of home, as his batting average shoots up to 62.88 and the strike rate stands out at a remarkable mark of around 98. For New Zealand to battle Australia’s aggression at the top, Guptill’s solid foundation at the top becomes extremely important and vital.

  1. Kane Williamson must improve his record in ICC events:

Kane Williamson is an absolute beast in all forms of the game as he remains a superb batsman across all conditions and situations. However, in the big games and the high-profile ICC events, Williamson’s batting takes a massive hit as he doesn’t resemble his usual flawless self while batting. As opposed to a career average of 45.9, which includes 8 centuries and 29 half centuries, his stats in ICC events drop down to an average of 39.45, mainly due to five, not outs and just has 2 half centuries in 16 innings. These numbers don’t justify Williamson’s talent a bit and the New Zealand captain must change this reputation this time around.

  1. Target David Warner with swing early on:

If there is one place on this planet which David Warner doesn’t like batting in, it has to be England. Among all the nations he has played ODI cricket in, Warner’s averages the lowest in England, with his tally standing at a poor mark of just 28.16. New Zealand can ably exploit that shortcoming of Warner and use the conditions to their help as the southpaw isn’t comfortable when the ball moves on early on. To add to that, he has struggled against Trent Boult in the past and skipper Kane Williamson can definitely exploit Warner to shake Australia at the top.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 13: Chris Lynn of Australia looks dejected after losing his wicket during game one of the One Day International series between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba on January 13, 2017, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
  1. Exploit Australia’s brittle middle order:

Going into this tournament, Australia doesn’t have the strongest of middle orders. Travis Head did impress in the warm-up game against Sri Lanka with a calm knock, but he remains untested in an ICC event. Glenn Maxwell too endures an indifferent form as he wasn’t at his best in the IPL and struggled for runs later on. Chris Lynn is another prospect who is under the spotlight but like Head, he doesn’t’ have the experience of playing a lot of ODI cricket. To gain a major strategic hold of the game, the New Zealand bowlers need to win the middle overs battle. That can happen only if Australia’s relatively inexperienced middle order is tested completely by some attacking bowling from the Blackcaps.

Mitchell Santner bowls.
Mitchell Santner bowls.
  1. Mitchell Santner remains the X Factor:

It was right here in England a couple of years ago when Mitchell Santner first burst on to the international scene. Since then, the spin bowling all-rounder has impressed every time on the field and been a great asset to the New Zealand side. With an economy rate under 5, Santner is simply irresistible as a spinner and can dry up the runs in his quota of 10 overs. Apart from his miserly bowling and taking wickets, Santner can also play some useful knocks lower down the order. Going into the game against Australia, Santner’s contribution will be decisive indeed.

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