Table of Contents
The Windies have lost four T20Is in a row, including the first against the Black Caps on August 9. Can they bounce back in the second to push the three-match series into a decider?
New Zealand extended their fine run in T20Is, beating West Indies by 13-runs in an all-round show in the first of three T20Is at the Sabina Park Jamaica on August 10. The fifth-ranked T20I side had earlier whitewashed Ireland. Scotland and Netherlands in the ongoing season, without the services of a number of their key players.
Skipper Kane Williamson, returning to play his first T20I since the T20 World Cup 2021 final against Australia in Dubai, top-scored with a fluent 47 off 33 after Devon Conway (43 off 29) had got the team off to a flyer, while Jimmy Neesham’s late fireworks ensured that the visitors finished strongly at 185/5.
The indifferent form of skipper Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer among others, didn’t help the Windies cause, as they lost wickets at regular intervals in the chase to eventually fall short. The hosts suffered a fourth straight T20I defeat, after having lost the last three T20Is of the five-match series against India recently. The bowling too, has lacked consistency in recent times on the pace and spin front alike.
The second T20I will be played at the same venue on Saturday, August 13. Can Pooran’s men bounce back to push the series into the decider?
Key players
Barring his 24 off 8, which ended in a runout in the fourth T20I against India, Nicholas Pooran has endured a struggle in T20Is off late, having aggregated 72 runs on either side of that knock at 14.4 a collective strike-rate of 114.2. He struck a four and a six in his eight ball stay on Wednesday, before falling to Santner, and might just be one big knock away from rediscovering his dominant best. When in flow, Pooran is a virtually unstoppable force against spin as well as pace.
Wrist-spinners have time and again made an impact in the game’s shortest version, and West Indies certainly boast the quality on that front, with Hayden Walsh in their ranks. The 30-year-old has dismissed top internationals such as Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh and Shakib Al Hasan in his fairly young T20I career, and is a key member in the West Indies bowling unit. He returned an economical 0/29 from four overs in a high-scoring series opener.
Martin Guptill was recently surpassed by Rohit Sharma for most runs in T20I cricket, and he currently stands just 25 away from reclaiming the top position. Guptill was scratchy in the first T20I, his uncharacteristic 16 off 17 brought to an end by a spectacular boundary catch by Hetmyer. Guptill has traditionally struggled against West Indies, averaging a low 18.27 against them in the format, contrary to 53.45 in ODIs which includes a monumental 237* from the 2015 World Cup quarter-final. The swashbuckling opener has a great chance to set his record straight in the shortest version.
Jimmy Neesham made a major difference with a strong finish in the first T20I, his late blitz, including a 23-run over off Jason Holder, powering New Zealand to a strong 185/5. His T20I scores in the current season read (most recent first): 33*(15), 32 (17), 28 (12), 30(9) and 23*(6), 1*(2) and 29 (16), making for a staggering strike-rate of 228.57. He continues to be a game-changer, and adds further value with his medium pace and brilliant fielding skills.
Prediction
Recent form, the T20I rankings and the overall team combination suggest that New Zealand begin favourites once again. However, WI have traditionally been known to bounce back strongly in the shortest version, and the late surge in the first T20I from Romario Shepherd (31* off 16) and Odean Smith (27* off 12), with the latter also having bagged a three-for, might well act as a confidence booster.
They have enough resources with the ball, and the depth in batting, with quality strikers through and through, still make them a tough opponent to beat. West Indies might just come back strongly after the opening defeat, as they had done in the second T20I against India earlier this month. Either or both of Pooran or Hetmyer might just come good on Saturday, to set it up for a deciding clash on Monday.
