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T20 World Cup Predictions: Winner, Top 4, Best Associates, MVP, Most Runs & Wickets, Surprises,…Can You Guess It All?

Welcome to T20 World Cup Predictions 😊

IPL is done, international cricket is back, and so is #BCDPredictions! Let us see how good the predictions of our fellow cricket fans on social media is.

We asked our viewers to respond with

  • #Winner
  • #Top4
  • #BestAssociates
  • #PlayerofWC
  • #MostRuns
  • #MostWickets
  • #BestCatch
  • #Surprise
  • #BrokenDream

So what do you say? Will we see any surprises? Are South Africa, Bangladesh, Afghanistan the dark horses for the tournament? How about rising Scotland? Any emerging players? Will we miss Faf, Tahir, Morris, Chahal, Narine, and more?

If you do not have enough information yet to do the predictions, check out these previews below.

Groups:

My IPL Predictions

Here are my predictions. Old World Cups photos and everyone’s predictions & analysis are stated below for comparison.

T20 World Cup 2021 Predictions

Chapter I: India Hold The Edge?

  1. Veer 🏏 (@CricCrazyVeer)
  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: WI, Eng, NZ, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Ire/Neth
  • #PlayerofWC: Jadeja
  • #MostRuns: Rizwan
  • #MostWickets: Shamsi
  • #BestCatch: Fabian Allen
  • #Surprise: Scotland, Afghanistan
  • #BrokenDream: Hafeez retires

2. Mohd Shamir Ansari (@ShamirMohd)

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: Ind, WI, Eng, NZ
  • #BestAssociates: Oman
  • #PlayerofWC: Jadeja
  • #MostRuns: Rohit Sharma
  • #MostWickets: Ish Sodhi
  • #BestCatch: Glenn Maxwell
  • #Surprise: Afghanistan
  • #BrokenDream: Gayle and Bravo retire.

3. Sourabh Sanyal -Mask & Vaccination (💉x😷) is must (@sourabhsanyal)

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: WI, Eng, Pak, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Scotland
  • #PlayerofWC: Boom (Bumrah)
  • #MostRuns: KL Rahul
  • #MostWickets: Starc
  • #BestCatch: Jaddu/Kohhli
  • #Surprise: Afghanistan
  • #BrokenDream: Bangladesh
Embed from Getty Images

Chapter 2: Is This World Cup Too Close To Call?

4. Anand Abhirup // 🤩⚔️ ︎ (@AnandHR_Odia)

  • #Winner: West Indies
  • #Top4: Ind, WI, Aus, NZ
  • #BestAssociates: Afghanistan
  • #PlayerofWC: KL Rahul
  • #MostRuns: KL Rahul
  • #MostWickets: Varun Chakravarthy
  • #BestCatch: Jadeja
  • #Surprise: Afghanistan

5.Sourabh Negi (@im_sourabh_Negi)

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: Ind, WI, Aus, NZ
  • #BestAssociates: Afghanistan
  • #PlayerofWC: KL Rahul
  • #MostRuns: KL Rahul
  • #MostWickets: S Thakur/ Rashid Khan
  • #BestCatch: Fabian Allen/Jadeja
  • #Surprise: Afghanistan

6. Paras (@ParasGirdhar22)

  • #Winner: Hard to Say
  • #Top4: Ind, Pak/NZ, Aus/Eng, WI
  • #MostRuns: Rohit
  • #MostWickets: Starc
  • #BestCatch: Jadeja
  • #Surprise: Same (as mine)
Embed from Getty Images

Chapter 3: Can England Or WI Extend Their Limited Overs Dominance?

7. Deepak Kumar Panda (@Deepsdkp)

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: WI, Eng, Pak, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Netherlands
  • #PlayerofWC: Rahul/jadeja
  • #MostRuns: Rahul
  • #MostWickets: Tymal Mills
  • #BestCatch: Jadeja
  • #Surprise: Afghanistan
  • #BrokenDream: Bravo and Gayle retire

8.Kickit Wicket (@KickitWicket)

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: NZ, WI, Aus, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Netherlands
  • #PlayerofWC: Jadeja
  • #MostRuns: Maxwell
  • #MostWickets: Shamsi
  • #BestCatch: Williamson
  • #Surprise: NZ
  • #BrokenDream: Morgan duck in final innings

9.𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙮𝙪𝙨𝙝 (@ps26_11)

  • #Winner: England
  • #Top4: WI, Eng, NZ, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Netherlands
  • #PlayerofWC: Maxwell
  • #MostRuns: KL Rahul
  • #MostWickets: Nortje
  • #BestCatch: Jadeja
  • #Surprise: Afghanistan/Scotland
  • #BrokenDream: Malik/Morgan retire
Embed from Getty Images

Chapter 4: Virat Kohli Vs Babar Azam Vs Kane Williamson Vs KL Rahul For Most Runs?

10. Wisdom

  • #Winner: Pakistan
  • #Top4: Aus, Eng, Pak, NZ
  • #BestAssociates: Scotland, Ireland
  • #PlayerofWC: Babar Azam
  • #MostRuns: Babar Azam
  • #MostWickets: Southee
  • #BestCatch: Fabian Allen
  • #Surprise: Fabian Allen
  • #BrokenDream: Virat Kohli

11. Chalupa

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: Aus, NZ, WI, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Scotland
  • #PlayerofWC: Kane Williamson
  • #MostRuns: Virat Kohli
  • #MostWickets: Bumrah
  • #BestCatch: Jadeja
  • #Surprise: Scotland
  • #BrokenDream: Pakistan

12. Wow

  • #Winner: NZ
  • #Top4: NZ, WI, Ban, Afg
  • #BestAssociates: Scotland
  • #PlayerofWC: Rashid Khan
  • #MostRuns: KL Rahul
  • #MostWickets: Shardul Thakur
  • #BestCatch: Glenn Maxwell
  • #Surprise: India win
  • #BrokenDream: NZ out

13. Vandit

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: Ind, Pak, Eng, WI
  • #BestAssociates: Netherlands
  • #PlayerofWC: KL Rahul
  • #MostRuns: KL Rahul
  • #MostWickets: Adil Rashid
  • #BestCatch: Shimron Hetmyer
  • #Surprise: R Ashwin
  • #BrokenDream: Sri Lanka or Bangladesh might not make it to the Super 12s

14. Short Leg Cricket

  • #Winner: Pakistan
  • #Top4: WI, Eng, Pak, Ind
  • #BestAssociates: Scotland
  • #PlayerofWC: Maxi
  • #MostRuns: Babar
  • #MostWickets: Rabada
  • #BestCatch: Jordan
  • #Surprise: NZ
  • #BrokenDream: Virat Kohli

15. Harrison

  • #Winner: India
  • #Top4: Ind, Eng, Pak, WI
  • #BestAssociates: Ireland
  • #PlayerofWC: KL Rahul
  • #MostRuns: Glenn Maxwell
  • #MostWickets: Adil Rashid
  • #BestCatch: Fabian Allen
  • #Surprise: Bangladesh
  • #BrokenDream: England & being double white ball champions
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Discussions I

16. CRICKET 2021 (@INDIA21653180)

  • #Top4: Ind,WI, Eng, NZ (without a doubt)
  • #MostRuns: Buttler (may not be an Indian, cannot rule QDK too)

Discussion:

  • “…With Neesham, Boult, Lockie, Phillips, Kane, Jamieson all playing IPL advantage for them and not Pak…Guptill, Seifert, Kane, Conway, Phillips, Neesham, Santner, Sodhi/Southee, Boult, Ferguson, Kyle.”
  • “Babar, Rizwan out for less then 20 runs, then Pak may lose 99% if against NZ and India if chasing 170…For India, even after Rahul, Kohli, Pant Surya, Hardik, Jadeja, Shardul are there.”
  • “I feel having times like SA, Aus, WI, Eng in same group made Group B easy to qualify.”
    1. Rohit-Rahul/Babar-Rizwan most settled opening pair
    2. Moeen Ali/Kohli best at 3
    3. Conway/Phillips best at 4/5
    4. Pant/Hardik/Jadeja for late order hitting.”
    5. Rashid Khan/Nabi/Mujeeb/Varun/Chahar/Jadeja – Spinners
    6. Nortje/Boult/Shaheen/Bhuvi – Powerplay Bowler
    7. Bumrah – Death Bowler
    8. Mawell/Surya/Inglis – 360 or unorthodox
    9. Pooran/Hetmyer/Pollard/Russel/Allen/DJ Bravo – Power hitters
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T20 World Cup Prediction Quotes

“If India want to win India’s top three form is very crucial.”

Sourabh

“Yes surely looking at great spin condition in UAE. [Sodhi] is definitely going to have a good impact in this WC for NZ…”

Mohd Shamir Ansari

“Seeing how the pitches played out in most games in IPL, expect Tymal’s variations to come in handy.”

Deepak Kumar Panda

“The problem with NZ might be the UAE conditions. Guptill couldn’t bat UAE conditions in the second leg of PSL.”

Asad Ali

“Namibia or PNG may qualify for the main draw. Afghanistan may eliminate one of the Asian teams and reach semis. It can be an #IndvNZ final.”

The Falling Sweep

“With Faf, Morris, & Tahir not in team, it is a huge task for SA.”

Bhagyesh Joshi

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand—Asia Cup is Back!

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads analysis time.

With India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in this group already set, this is a mini Asia Cup battle. In the preliminary qualification round, if Sri Lanka is ranked 2 in Group A and if Bangladesh tops Group B, we might see a potential 5/6 Asian teams!

This might not be named the Group of Death from the outside, but I think this group will be closer than it appears. Here is our team-by-team analysis—Most Balanced, Surprise Exclusions, In-Form Inclusions and Predictions!

Also Read:

T20 World Cup Groups

In the mini-qualifier group, there are two groups (Group A & B) of 4 teams each, top 2 of which will go in the main round (Group 1 and 2).

Group A has teams Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka, while Group B has teams Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.

Group 2
Afghanistan
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
A2
B1
T20 World Cup 2021: Group 2 Table

The other group, Group 2, will have Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies.

Afghanistan T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Asghar AfghanMohammad NabiGulbadin NaibRahmanullah GurbazSharafuddin AshrafHamid Hassan
Usman GhaniRashid KhanMohammad ShahzadMujeeb Ur RahmanKarim Janat
Hashmatullah ShahidiQais AhmedNaveen Ul-Haq
Najibullah ZadranDawlat Zadran
Hazratullah ZazaiShapoor Zadran
Afsar ZazaiFareed Ahmad
Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Afghanistan

Afghanistan Probable XI

  1. Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), 3. Usman Ghani, 4. Asghar Afghan, 5. Mohammad Nabi (C), 6. Najibullah Zadran, 7. Gulbadin Naib/Karim Janat, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Naveen Ul-Haq, 11. Qais Ahmed
  • Average Age: 28
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Ibrahim Zadran, Amir Hamza, Fazalhaq Farooqi
  • Surprise Inclusions: Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Shahzad, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran
  • Watch Out For: The Spinners—Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Qais Ahmed

  • Recent Result: Afghanistan won 3-0 Vs Zimbabwe in UAE
  • Prediction: Rank 3rd in Group 2. In spin conditions, if their batters can put up a decent score, expect Afghanistan to surprise a few of the big teams.

Does Afghanistan Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

Another World Cup. Another captaincy change right before the World Cup for Afghanistan. Rashid Khan had received the captaincy baton from Asghar Afghan, but he has resigned on the eve on the World Cup since he was not consulted for the WC squad. Add to that the current political situation, and Afghanistan’s entry in the WC is not even guaranteed.

Iconic trio Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Shahzad, and Shapoor Zadran return after years of international hiatus. Fitness will be the key concern, but Afghanistan have a good mix of youth and experience. They are also guaranteed 5 games in the main draw.

India T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Virat KohliRavindra JadejaHardik PandyaKL RahulRahul ChaharJasprit Bumrah
Rohit SharmaAxar PatelRishabh PantVarun ChakravarthyBhuvneshwar Kumar
Suryakumar YadavRavichandran AshwinIshan KishanMohammad Shami
Shreyas IyerShardul ThakurDeepak Chahar
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: India

Probable XI

  1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Virat Kohli (C), 3. KL Rahul/Ishan Kishan, 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Rishabh Pant, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Varun Chakravarthy
  • Average Age: 29
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur (reserves), Washington Sundar (injured), Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed, Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik. If you want the list of all 75 players which form Indian cricket team’s depth, read this.
  • Surprise Inclusions: R Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, MS Dhoni (Mentor)
  • Watch Out For: Trial by Spin—Rahul Chahar, R Ashwin, & Varun Chakravarthy can single handedly bamboozle most batting lineups. With Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel providing control, India might not have to chase large targets. Expect Ashwin in powerplays, Chahar-Jadeja in middle overs, and if he plays, Varun at the death.

  • Recent Results: Lost 1-2 to Sri Lanka
  • Prediction: Rank 2nd in Group 2. Since this side has not played together, India might drop a game or two till they figure out their best XI, but should find momentum towards the latter stages of the tournament.

Does India Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

A well balanced side overall. Selectors have finally picked IPL as the standard for T20I selection and separated it from ODI players. IPL dynasty Mumbai Indians have six players in this 15.

Shikhar Dhawan was the highest scorer for India in both the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka and has been at the top of the charts (with decent SR) in the last two IPLs, but has still not made the cut. Bold move to cut Chahal but Chahar is the in-form leg spinner.

India have punted on spinning conditions and hence, exposed their fast bowling. Too much responsibility on Bumrah? Will we see a Sharma-Kohli opening partnership? Can India finally add an ICC Trophy after a decade of semi-finals and runner-ups trophy?

New Zealand T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Kane WilliamsonMitchell SantnerKyle JamiesonGlenn PhillipsTodd AstleTrent Boult
Devon ConwayMark ChapmanDaryl MitchellTim SeifertIsh SodhiLockie Ferguson
Martin GuptillJames NeeshamTim Southee
Adam Milne
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: New Zealand

New Zealand Probable XI

  1. Tim Seifert (WK), 2. Martin Guptill, 3. Kane Williamson (C), 4. Devon Conway, 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. Jimmy Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Ish Sodhi, 11. Trent Boult
  • Average Age: 30
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Colin de Grandhomme, Will Young, Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Henry Nicholls/Tom Latham/Ross Taylor, Doug Bracewell/Hamish Bennett/Jacob Duffy/Blair Tickner, Ajaz Patel
  • Surprise Inclusions: Mark Chapman, Todd Astle
  • Watch Out For: Lockie Ferguson & Devon Conway. Ferguson’s KKR experience in UAE might come in handy and can Conway continue his dream debut year?

Does New Zealand Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

Interesting team selection this based on condition and form. Glenn Phillips-Conway-Seifert had solidifed their positions with a rich run of form last year. This meant that Will Young and Finn Allen could not break in the squad despite great T20I performances toward the end. Great depth in New Zealand cricket means several players had to miss out.

Colin de Grandhomme is the interestesting exclusion for me. If fit, he could have been devastating but Mitchell-Neesham-Santner-Jamieson have booked their tickets with a coule of good performances earlier in the year. Adam Milne unlucky to just be in the reserves because he is been on fire in the Big Bash and The hundred since his comeback. End of T20Is for Ross Taylor.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Babar AzamImad WasimHasan AliMohammad RizwanHaris Rauf
Sohaib MaqsoodMohammad HafeezMohammad WasimAzam KhanMohammad Hasnain
Khushdil ShahMohammad NawazShaheen Shah Afridi
Asif AliShadab Khan
Fakhar ZamanUsman QadirShahnawaz Dahani
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Pakistan

Pakistan Probable XI

  1. Babar Azam (C), 2. Mohammad Rizwan, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Sohaib Maqsood, 5. Imad Wasim, 6. Azam Khan/Khushdil Shah/Asif Ali, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Mohammad Nawaz, 10. Haris Rauf, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi
  • Average Age: 27
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Fakhar Zaman, Usman Qadir (Reserves), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Amir, Usman Khan Shinwari, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis (Coach)
  • Surprise Inclusions: Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan
  • Watch Out For: Azam Khan, the power hitter, has hit some big sixes in CPL 2021. Could be the finisher Pakistan are looking for.

  • Recent Results: Lost 1-2 against England.
  • Prediction: Rank 1 in Group 2. Should get through the group with ease before collapsing in the semi-finals.

Does Pakistan Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

Pakistan have opted for a young squad dropping all of Shoaib Malik, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz, and Wahab Riaz. If the lower order of Imad Wasim-Shadab-Hasan Ali can consistently score some quick runs, Pakistan will be in good shape.

The top 4 do not have competition from others in the squad, so expect Babar-Rizwan-Hafeez-Maqsood to play with freedom. Shaheen Shah Afridi-Haris Rauf-Nawaz-Hasan Ali-Shadab-Imad-Hafeez make a potent bowling line up as well. Would have liked Zaman, Qadir, Faheem Ashraf, and one of the seniors in the 15 but overall, the squad is pretty solid nevertheless.

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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/12/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Structured Chaos Paves Way for World Cricket’s Changing Landscape

Lots of world cricket recently. Cricket here, cricket there, cricket everywhere.

In the last month, New Zealand defeated India to lift the inaugural World Test Championship. South Africa swept the Test series 2-0 and won the T20I series 3-2 against the world champions, West Indies, who themselves blew Australia out of the park in the T20I series. 

Ireland emerged victorious in an almost-perfect ODI match against South Africa. Finally, a last-minute England’s second-string squad whitewashed a full-strength Pakistan team 3-0, and a second-string India threatens to be too strong for Sri Lanka on paper.

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team 75+ Player Depth List, Top 50+ England Cricket Team Players Depth List

Embrace the Uncertainty

If you tried predicting all the series above, most likely you would have missed a few. Cricket’s landscape is changing. A vast transformation is taking place.

No single team is unbeatable, and no team can be taken lightly. Case and point— Sri Lanka. Transition phase, lackluster, downfall, where are the glory days gone?—call them anything, but they are the only Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa and that too in 2019.

In the current ODI Super League, Ireland have blown hot and cold. They have defeated current ODI World Cup holders, England and South Africa. Those were no fluke victories either—chasing 329 and putting 291 on the board is no little feat. However, the Irish drew 1-1 against UAE, lost 0-3 against Afghanistan, and surrendered important Super League points to Netherlands in a 1-2 series loss.

Also Read: Netherlands Vs Scotland & Ireland 2021, Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 Series Review

New Winners, New Stories

Let us dissect this further. This uncertainty is not a recent phenomenon either. Due to the influx of ICC tournaments (almost one every year now), there is a higher probability of multiple teams claiming a world trophy.

Gone are the days of West Indies 1980s (1975/1979 WC winners, 1983 finalist) and Australia 2000s (1996 finalists, 1999/2003/2007 WC winners, 2006/2009 Champions Trophy winners). 

South Africa (till 2015) and India been right up there over the last decade without putting their stamp of domination. West Indies have dominated T20Is, England have changed ODI cricket, and New Zealand have been a constant force.

Yet since the 2013 Champions Trophy, a different winner has conquered each ICC Trophy.

  • 2013 Champions Trophy: India
  • 2014 T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka
  • 2015 ODI World Cup: Australia
  • 2016 T20 World Cup: West Indies
  • 2017 Champions Trophy: Pakistan
  • 2019 ODI World Cup: England
  • 2021 World Test Championship: New Zealand

In the next decade, 5 WTC Finals, 6 T20I World Cups, 3 ODI World Cups, and 2 Champions Trophies will provide ample opportunity for new winners.

Sure, with the bench strength that England, India, or New Zealand possess, they will be contenders but not certain winners.

ICC Has Gotten Something Right

Honest confession time. I have been critical of the ICC in the past, but must give it to them. They have a made a few decent decisions recently—pushing for cricket in the Olympics, extending future World Cups to include more Associate nations (14-team ODI WC, 20-team T20I WC), and most importantly, by providing much needed structure.

The first great thing ICC did was granting T20I status to all 104 nations in 2018. It was the right step in “globalizing the game” by ensuring standardization in terms of grounds, umpiring, and code of conduct. T20I World Cups scheduled every two years will ensure vigorous qualification structure.

To provide context in Test cricket, the World Test Championship was installed. It has numerous flaws, but the fact that spectators were critical of the points table, a record number watched the finals, and predictions for the next cycles have already begun show that the ICC have succeeded at some level in contextualizing Test cricket. The fact that Virat Kohli, Tim Paine, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson have been active advocates for the WTC has made it an even better spectacle to view.

The best of these ICC innovations has to be the 13-team ODI Super League that feeds into the new ODI World Cup qualification system. Every ODI series is a 3-match affair, and every team plays 24 matches. This is already a win for the likes of Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands, getting opportunities to compete against the top teams consistently. By the looks of it, Sri Lanka and even South Africa are in real danger of not making direct qualification for the next World Cup, spicing things up.

These systems are only in their infancy, and by the time the structure is robust, cricket will be at a better place.

Looking Forward to the 2020s

The 2000s was a wonderful era for cricket—a collision of generations. Sri Lanka-Pakistan-India had strong teams, England, New Zealand, & West Indies were competitive enough, while South Africa & Australia were the teams to beat. ODI cricket was at its peak, Test cricket was still prospering, and the Sehwags & Gayles provided us a glimpse into T20 future.

The 2010s saw each team going through massive transition eras. Home advantage in Test cricket killed any semblance of competition. The overkill of T20 cricket questioned cricket’s existence at the core.

Cricket has seen a turning point, especially since 2019. All formats have seen riveting action.

Carlos Brathwaite’s Remember the Name gave T20Is its unique iconic image. T20 cricket is now at its pinnacle with T20 specialists popping in every country and most nations now possessing a stable T20 league. With two consecutive T20 World Cups coming up, each T20I series is closely followed.

Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand and Eoin Morgan’s England changed the way ODI cricket was played. The 2019 World Cup final, Ben Stokes/Steve Smith’s Ashes, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have created a new generation of cricket fans. A sporting Test cricket pitch can go a long way. Bonners-Myers 4th innings chase, Fawad Alam’s almost match-saving knock, and the World Test Championship final all gave chills.

Changes will continue, one team will no longer dominate, and that is only a good thing. World cricket has survived its chaotic phase and has come out for the better.

Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams 07/14/2021. Email: bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Fractal Image – Robert Sontheimer, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

World Test Championship Final Preview 2021: Will Rain Spoil Watling’s Retirement?

World Test Championship Final Preview.

After two long years of Test cricket & coronavirus interruption, the World Test Championship Final is finally here.

Rising Kiwis are slightly better prepared against world beaters India with a series against England. India has been in England for a few weeks due to quarantine but have only played an internal practice match.

Two of the best teams on show, finally some context for Test cricket, BJ Watling’s retirement, but will rain spoil it all?

Also Read: Alternative World Test Championship Points Table, 5 Things To Watch Out From the World Test Championship Final

Why Is The WTC Final Significant? A Brief History

The idea of the World Test Championship is not a new one.

World Test Championship was supposed to become a reality in 2009, 2013, & 2017, but each of those iterations were cancelled in favor of much more lucrative, ICC ODI Champions Trophy.

Imagine an Indian team comprising of Sehwag, Sachin, Dravid, VVS Laxman, MS Dhoni, Zaheer Khan competing against McCullum’s 2015 team or even better, the golden South African era of Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, AB De Villiers, & Dale Steyn earlier in the decade.

Anyway, World Test Championship finally came into existence in 2019 and began with the England-Australia Ashes series. 58 matches later, India and New Zealand are deservedly in the finals, carrying bench strengths of envy.

Embed from Getty Images

Playing Conditions

When And Where?

Here is the date and the venue for the World Test Championship Final. It is linked to ESPNCricinfo’s scorecard and live updates.

ICC Changes implemented

The new ICC playing conditions are now in place. Two of the most prominent for this match will be:

  • The LBW zone for DRS umpire call decisions has been shifted a little bit. It would be interesting to see how many LBW decisions are overturned in this Test match.
  • A reserve sixth day will be utilized in case all possible overs are not recovered during the five days. Looks highly likely that the sixth day will come into play.

A couple of other little changes will also be in place.

Rain, Rain Go Away

There is a 100% rain forecast for the first four days of the Tests and then down to 80% and 70% for the couple of days after. Well, it is England….

Recent ICC Record

Here is a recent ODI & T20I World Cup history for India and New Zealand. Both teams have underwhelmed over the past decade given their talent. Since 2007, here is how the teams stack up.

India At ICC Events

  • Champions Trophy – Winner (2013), Runners-Up (2017)
  • ODI World Cup – Winner (2011), Semi-finals (2015), Semi-finals (2019)
  • T20I World Cup – Winner (2007), Runners-Up (2014), Semi-finals (2016)

New Zealand At ICC Events

  • Champions Trophy – Runners-Up (2009)
  • ODI World Cup – Semi-finals (2007), Semi-finals (2011), Runners-Up (2015), Runners-Up (2019)
  • T20I World Cup – Semi-finals (2007), Semi-finals (2016)

These records are meaningless because tomorrow is a new day and Test cricket is just another beast.

Embed from Getty Images

Road To the Finals

India

India began by routing West Indies in the Caribbean, before securing points at home against lackluster South Africa & Bangladesh teams.

Then came the tours Down Under. While Kiwis routed India in swing bowling conditions, India delivered a masterclass of ages in Australia. After 36/9 in Adelaide, Rahane’s century resurrected India in Melbourne. Then, the Pujara-Pant-Vihari-Ashwin show ensured India survived the 3rd Test, and the youngsters Shardul-Sundar-Pant-Siraj broke the Gabba fort to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Finally, the England home series was a completely one-sided event even after Joe Root’s classic gave England a headstart at Chennai. Ashwin’s all-round magic at home & Axar Patel’s memorable debut ensured India ease past England.

India Matches Series Result
Vs WI*22-0
Vs SA33-0
Vs Ban22-0
Vs NZ*20-2
Vs Aus*42-1
Vs Eng43-1
Total1712-4
World Test Championship Final Preview – India’s Road To Glory

*Signifies away series

New Zealand

New Zealand’s road to glory was much more formulaic.

The Kiwis started with away tours of Sri Lanka & Australia. While they put on a good show in New Zealand, winning one match, they were hammered in Australia (barring Neil Wagner’s intense series).

At home, it was same old. Swinging conditions. Boult, Southee, and debutant of the year, Kyle Jamieson, wrecked havoc against India and West Indies. Only Pakistan provided any semblance of resistance with Fawad Alam’s classic fourth innings ton going in vain with four overs left in the Test match.

New ZealandMatchesSeries Results
Vs SL*21-1
Vs Aus*30-3
Vs Ind22-0
Vs WI22-0
Vs Pak22-0
Total117-4
World Test Championship Final Preview – New Zealand’s Road To Glory

World Test Championship Final Preview – The Teams

India

  • Watch out for Ajinkya Rahane. He has a tendency to perform when it matters the most although his lack of consistency is frustrating. Rahane’s leadership & century in Melbourne was the catalyst for India in the memorable Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Since then, his form has gone hiding. England will bring back nice personal memories, and he is probably India’s best batter in swinging conditions. It is high time he shows up.
  • There were rumors that Mohammad Siraj would play in place of one of Mohammad Shami or Ishant Sharma, but that did not happen. India’s bowling has variety with Bumrah’s accuracy, Ishant’s seam, and Shami’s reverse swing. Looking forward to watch Ishant, who is in his 4th and most rewarding phase of his career. His 7-74 at Lord’s in the last tour was especially spectacular.
Embed from Getty Images

New Zealand

  • Tributes have started flowing in for BJ Watling in his retirement match. This one is my favorite, especially his mom’s statement. Watling has been a symbol of this rising team’s resilience and stability. Always solid behind the stumps, he will go down as Kiwis’s greatest keeper, but what I will miss the most is his rearguard action. NZ’s middle order rarely collapsed, but when it did, Watling was at the rescue. The question is, does he have one fighting innings left in him?
  • This is a very understated team, but do you know who is the New Zealand in the New Zealand team? Tom Latham & Henry Nicholls. When the Conways, Williamsons, or Taylors make huge scores around them, you can guarantee that Latham-Nicholls will provide ample solid support. Expect one of them to rise to the occasion in the finals.

Watch Out For

  • Sharma-Shubman Vs Pace brigade of Boult-Southee-Jamieson: This might as well set the tone for this match. A Mumbai Indians mini-match between Boult & Rohit Sharma.
  • Latham-Conway-Nicholls Vs R Ashwin: Ashwin has been India’s most successful bowler in this WTC cycle and has performed across all conditions (with both bat and ball). Conway is in the form of his life and the Kiwis have 2 other left-hand batters in the Top 5. Expect to see a lot of Ashwin.
  • The slip catching. England’s dropped catches were on show in the last series and they have been one of the worst slip catching sides in the past two years. So I am glad Ind-NZ are playing this week. Both teams have legendary fast bowlers, so the ball will go to the slips more than usual. Rest assured, the catches will be taken. Rahane, Taylor, Rohit, Kohli, Latham should do the job.

Starting XIs

India

India has revealed its XI ahead of time. Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Mohammad Siraj, Hanuma Vihari, Axar Patel, Mayank Agarwal all played crucial roles in the lead up to the WTC Finals, but unfortunately did not make the final XI. This is also the first time that Jadeja-Ashwin-Sharma-Shami-Bumrah will play together. What a mouth-watering lineup.

  1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Cheteshwar Pujara, 4. Virat Kohli*, 5. Ajinkya Rahane, 6. Rishabh Pant (WK), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin, 9. Ishant Sharma, 10. Mohammad Shami, 11. Jasprit Bumrah

Squad: Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj

New Zealand

New Zealand’s lineup selects itself, but the crucial question is the #7-8 spot. Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, & Ajaz Patel performed admirably in the England series and Colin de Grandhomme has been out for a while, so will they go for a four-fast bowler strategy? Ajaz Patel should have done enough in the England series for a spin option in this Southampton pitch.

  1. Tom Latham, Devon Conway, 3. Kane Williamson*, 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Henry Nicholls, 6. BJ Watling (WK), 7. Colin de Grandhomme/Kyle Jamieson/Matt Henry, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Neil Wagner, 10. Trent Boult, 11. Ajaz Patel

Squad: Will Young, Tom Blundell (WK)

Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, and Rachin Ravindra failed to make the final cut.

Prediction

I honestly cannot see a way past the weather. Both teams have excellent bowling options, so unless both teams suffer collapses twice, a result would be very hard to attain.

Would love if we get a full game, but for now, going with a Draw.

Verdict: Draw 0-0

If the game does happen, what am I excited for the most? Neil Wagner’s intensity, Colin de Grandhomme’s hairdo, Williamson-Kohli-Southee’s continuing journey from U-19 World Cup, Pujara-Pant combination, Ross Taylor’s wisdom, an emotional sunset to Watling’s wonderful career, and in general, just a hard-fought sporting final.

IndiaNew Zealand
MVPAjinkya RahaneHenry Nicholls
Most RunsRohit SharmaTom Latham
Most WicketsIshant SharmaTim Southee
X-FactorRavichandran AshwinAjaz Patel
VerdictDrawDraw
World Test Championship Final Preview – Prediction

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COPYRIGHT @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X, 06/18/2021; Email at bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

World Test Championship Records

Are there are records that can be broken in the World Test Championship Final?

Batting

It is really interesting that even though NZ made it to the finals, there is nobody in the top 15 run-scorer. Combination of several players standing up and the fact that NZ did not play as many games. Kane Williamson is at 16th with 817 runs and Tom Latham is 25th with 680 runs.

India, on the other hand, have 5 batters in the Top 15:

  • Rahane – 1095 (5th)
  • Rohit Sharma – 1030 (6th)
  • Kohli – 877 (11th)
  • Agarwal – 857 (12th)
  • Pujara – 818 (15th)

Bowling

Ashwin is on #3 with 67 wickets and Southee is New Zealand’s best at #5 with 51 wickets.

  • Kyle Jamieson – 36 (12th)
  • Ishant Sharma – 36 (13th)
  • Mohammad Shami – 36 (14th)
  • Jasprit Bumrah – 34 (16th)
  • Trent Boult – 34 (18th)
  • Neil Wagner – 32 (20th)

Fielding and Dismissals

Both teams are pretty close on this list with BJ Watling – 43 dismissals (4th) and Rishabh Pant – 40 (5th).

In terms of catches, Rahane – 22 catches (4th) and Ross Taylor – 18 (5th) are at the top with Rohit Sharma – 16 (6th) and Virat Kohli – 16 (7th) close behind. New Zealand’s next best is Tom Latham – 14 (12th).

Most RunsMost WicketsMost CatchesMost Dismissals
Marnus Labuschagne – 1675Pat Cummins – 70Joe Root – 34Tim Paine – 65
Joe Root – 1660Stuart Broad – 69Steve Smith – 27Jos Buttler – 50
Steve Smith – 1341Ravichandran Ashwin – 67Ben Stokes – 25Quinton de Kock – 46
Ben Stokes – 1334Nathan Lyon – 56Ajinkya Rahane – 22BJ Watling – 43
Ajinkya Rahane – 1095 Tim Southee – 51Ross Taylor – 18Rishabh Pant – 40
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

England Vs New Zealand 2021 Test Series Review: England Needs to Self-Reflect After Conway’s Show

England Vs New Zealand 2021 Test Series Review – Short but good nevertheless.

Devon Conway & Will Young eased into Test cricket, New Zealand tried their options for the World Test Championship Final, and England lost some options as they gear up for the India series & the must awaited Ashes later this season.

Also Read: Alternative World Test Championship Points Table,New Zealand Vs England 2021 Test Series Preview

Results, Scorecards, & Video Highlights

A slightly boring draw and a New Zealand win to sum it up.

  1. Match Drawn*Devon Conway
    1. Video Highlights
  2. New Zealand Won by 8 wickets*Matt Henry
    1. Video Highlights

*Player of the Match

Series Stats

Player of the SeriesEngland
Devon Conway
New Zealand
Most RunsRory Burns – 238 runs
(best of 132, 59.50 average, 100s-1, 50s-1)
Devon Conway – 306 runs
(best of 200, 76.50 average, 100s-1, 50s-1
Most WicketsOllie Robinson – 7 wickets (1 match only)
Tim Southee – 7 wickets (1 match only)
(best innings – 6/43, best match – 7/80, 11.42 average)
England Vs New Zealand 2021 Series Stats

Highlights

England

England’s batting continues to go down hill after the 1st test against India. They have now lost 4 and drawn 1 in the past five Tests (2 at home, 4 away). All the hopes and dreams after away series wins in South Africa and Sri Lanka are crashing down quickly.

The Batting: England’s Batting Averages Just Not Good Enough

Jarrod Kimber analyzed England’s poor batting numbers this era quite nicely.

  • One of the highlights of Kimber’s analysis was Rory Burns has been a stable cog in this English lineup despite the poor numbers. He scored a brilliant ton and almost carried the bat in this series, which increased his Test average to 33.23 with 3 hundreds and 9 fifties. Not the best stats after 25 Tests, but the Sibley-Rory partnership has done a decent job in the past couple of years. Well, not quite Strauss-Cook, but the standards have been so low recently that a Burns century should be rightly celebrated.
  • Zak Crawley’s scores in this series—2 & 2, 0 & 17. Not good enough for a #3 batter at home. I hope England persist with him but he needs to meet them halfway, nothing of note since that 267.
  • Ollie Pope looks like Ian Bell, bats like Ian Bell, but I hope he starts converting like Ian Bell. Beautiful 20s and 30s can only get you so far—think James Vince (22 & 20*, 19 & 23 this series).

The batting averages of England’s main batters are far from impressive. Joe Root’s overall average is great, but has been struggling at home for quite a while now.

Rory Burns (33.23), Dom Sibley (30.78), Zak Crawley (29.33), Joe Root (48.68), Ollie Pope (31.50), Jos Buttler (34.53), Ben Stokes (37.04).

Suddenly, Joe Denly’s 29.53 with his infamous Denturies does not look that bad, does it?

The Nasser Hussain

Commentator Nasser Hussain did not mince any words in the post-series analysis, urging their batters to get back to basics and avoid funny techniques. The current England batters have the mindset that:

“Everyone else that has played the game in the history of the game. Viv Richards you were wrong. Everyone is wrong, we are right.”

– Nasser Hussain

Debutants & Fast Bowlers A Mixed Bag

  • Debutants Ollie Robinson & James Bracey had contrasting series. Although Robinson had a brilliant debut, both with the bat and bowl (highest wicket-taker for England in just 1 match), he was suspended from international cricket due to resurfacing controversial tweets. Poor Bracey had a tough debut series – 0, 0 & 8. Broken Dreams for both.
  • The senior fast bowlers were the only positives of the series. Mark Wood impressed…with the bat. He was among the wickets and consistently bowled his heart out as usual but his 41 & 29 in the 2nd Test showed England that the pitch does not contain any demons.
  • The old Stuart Broad showed up. In the 2nd Test, it seems that one of those spells was just around the corner. One of the bright lights in the series. Definitely got a couple more years left in him.
  • Jimmy Anderson was not as sharp this series, with just 3 wickets and averaging 68.66. Surpassed Alastair Cook as the most capped Test player for England-162 Tests. Take a bow.

New Zealand

The Debutants Star

  • In every series review, I highlight a couple of standout performers of the series. Guess what? In EVERY New Zealand series over the last year, Devon Conway has made the series headlines. T20I debut? Conquered. ODI debut? Check. Test debut at Lord’s? Double century and almost carries the bat. What else is there to say? 76.50 Test average, 75.00 ODI average, 59.12 T20I average. 1-200, 1-100, 4-50s in just 18 innings. Brilliant.
  • Will Young is continuing his good touch. Scored his maiden T20I fifty against Bangladesh recently and was picked in the 2nd Test after Williamson’s injury on the basis of a couple of centuries in County Cricket. Missed his century by 18 runs, but has finally found his feet in international cricket. He his here to stay.
  • Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel, and Neil Wagner all impressed with whatever chances they got.
    • Henry picked 3/78 & 3/36 to bag the player of the match in the 2nd Test
    • Ajaz Patel’s control and guile were impressive with figures of 2/34 & 2/25.
    • Neil Wagner bowled line and length more than his usual bouncers. Not unplayable but impactful for sure. Should edge Kyle Jamieson/Matt Henry for the WTC Final spot.

Senior Pros Provide Solid Support

  • Tim Southee is gearing up to the WTC Final with a superb series. After having re-invented himself in T20Is this year, he has found his swing, line, & length again.
  • Ross Taylor, one of New Zealand’s greatest, justified that tagline with a 80 in the 2nd Test. The beauty of that innings was he was nowhere close to his best. Stuart Broad was beating his edge right and left, but he survived and capitalized later on. In contrast, England’s batting collapsed to 76-7 and none of the batters had the will to fight it out like Taylor did.
  • Unfortunately for BJ Watling, he suffered a minor back injury on the eve of the 2nd Test and missed out. Hope he is ready for his swansong in the World Test Championship final.

In addition to Rory Burns’ 81 in the 2nd Test, the only criticism for New Zealand I could find would be the lack of conversion for three batters (Conway 80, Young 82, Taylor 80).

AwardsEnglandNew Zealand
Emerging PlayerOllie RobinsonDevon Conway & Will Young
Surprise Package Mark Wood, the batsman Matt Henry & Ajaz Patel
Broken Cricket DreamOllie Robinson, Zak CrawleyBJ Watling
England Vs New Zealand 2021 Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

New Zealand will be in the World Test Championship Final starting tomorrow.

Apart from the various leagues in the next few months which will keep the New Zealand players busy, the next international fixture is scheduled between 29th January-8th February 2022 for 3 ODIs & a T20I.

The English players have a long season ahead.

New Zealand Vs England 2021 Test Series Preview: Are Kiwis Prepared For Glory?

New Zealand Vs England 2021 Test Series Preview—an understated rivalry.

“Bowled ’em! Got him 3rd ball.”

“England have won the world cup by the barest of margins. By the barest of all margins.”

Scars from Starc’s dismissal of Brendon McCullum in the 2015 World Cup Final & Martin Guptill’s run-out in that Super Over still run deep. The Black Caps have lost the last two ODI World Cup finals, a Champions Trophy final (2009), and four semi-finals (2 T20I, 2 ODI) all within the last fifteen years.

Although South Africa are known as the perennial chokers, and India are the new holders of the tag after an underachieving decade, New Zealand are not that far behind. They have one more shot with a final at Lord’s with the World Test Championship against India. The real question is, are Kiwis prepared for glory?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, New Zealand have important couple of test matches against England as prep.

Also Read: Tribute to Ross Taylor, Why The World Needs Sam Curran?, Stories of Joe Denly & Joe Biden

When and Where?

Here are the dates and the venue for the New Zealand Vs England 2021 Test Series.

  1. New Zealand Vs England 1st Test: June 2nd-6th, London, Lord‘s,
  2. New Zealand Vs England 2nd Test: June 10th-14th, Birmingham, Edgbaston
  3. World Test Championship Final: June 18th-22nd, Southampton, Rose (Ageas) Bowl

Team Previews

I do not know about you, but I am very excited about this series. Since the abandonment of the IPL, there has been barely any international cricket.

This is not part of the World Test Championship (WTC) or the Future Tours Programme (FTC). This series has no-context on paper, but numerous interesting little stories running in the background nevertheless.

New Zealand – Conway’s Debut & Watling’s Retirement Talk of the Town

  • Devon Conway has to have one of the greatest cricketing stories in recent memory. Not able to get into the secondary club teams in South Africa 5 years ago, he is now about to get a Test debut at Lord’s. Sold everything in South Africa, churned a mountain runs in New Zealand’s first class system, and has been rewarded accordingly. The result?
    • 14 T20Is, 4-50s, best of 99*, 59.12 average, 151.11 SR
    • 3 ODIs, 1-100, 1-50, best of 126, 75.00 average, 88.23 SR
    • Tough luck for Tom Blundell (2-100s & 2-50s in just 16 innings) & Will Young (couple of county tons coming into the series)
  • BJ Watling, one of the greatest wicketkeepers of recent times & definitely for New Zealand, has decided to hang up his boots. Brilliant behind the stumps, and known for his ‘rescue acts.’ A daddy hundred or two from tough situations in the next three Tests will go a long way.
  • New Zealand has a wealth of allrounders. Daryl Mitchell’s last outing in international cricket has been a positive one – 100* (ODI) & 102* (Tests). Expect him to slot in the XI even though Colin de Grandhomme is back in the squad (with a great hairdo as well I shall add) & Mitchell Santner is always a valuable asset.
  • Although New Zealand now have a well balanced squad and great depth, the big guns will still need to fire—Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Tom Latham, captain Kane Williamson, & veteran Ross Taylor.

England – What do England have to Gain from this Series?

  • With Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, the Currans, Chris Woakes, & Jofra Archer (elbow surgery) out due to IPL quarantine, the entire lower-middle order will be missing in action. This will provide the England management to test their depth. Debuts for keeper James Bracey & fast bowler Ollie Robinson on the cards, with the likes of Olly Stone, Craig Overton, and comeback kid, Haseeb Hameed, on the sidelines.
  • Jimmy Anderson is poised to play his 161st Test match, joint-highest for England along with Sir Alastair Cook. Eight wickets away from a monumental 1000 first class wickets, 5 wickets away from Anil Kumble‘s 619, and 94 wickets to Shane Warne, it might well be a season of records for Anderson.
  • Joe Root has had a stellar Test year with 794 runs & 3 tons, including a couple of daddy hundreds in Sri Lanka & India. Can he back it up with a home season of the ages?
  • Burns-Sibley-Crawley against New Zealand’s swing bowlers—The opening combination was under a bit of fire in Asia, but it will not get any easier against Southee-Henry-Jamieson-de Grandhomme-Mitchell-Wagner.
  • Partial crowds (around 25%) are back at Lord’s. Good news for cricket fans, and hope things remain safe for time to come.

Prediction

Verdict: New Zealand win 1-0

EnglandNew Zealand
Player of the Series/MVPZak CrawleyHenry Nicholls
Most RunsZak CrawleyRoss Taylor
Most WicketsStuart BroadTim Southee
Emerging PlayerOllie RobinsonWill Young
Surprise PackageJames Bracey (WK)Daryl Mitchell/ Colin de Grandhomme
New Zealand Vs England 2021 Test Series Predictions

Kiwis have an upper hand, but do not count England out. Both teams are filled with great fast bowling talent, but New Zealand’s all-round & batting has the edge.

I am going with New Zealand 1-0. A closely fought first game, with New Zealand narrowly winning & holding England to at least a draw in the second match.

What about you? Let us know in the comments below!

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My Starting XIs

These are my starting XI for the first Test (assuming everyone is available in terms of COVID and injuries).

New Zealand

  1. Tom Latham, 2. Tom Blundell, 3. Kane Williamson*, 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Henry Nicholls, 6. BJ Watling*, 7. Daryl Mitchell, 8. Kyle Jamieson, 9. Tim Southee, 10. Matt Henry, 11. Neil Wagner

England

  1. Rory Burns, 2. Dom Sibley, 3. Zak Crawley, 4. Joe Root*, 5. Ollie Pope, 6. Dan Lawrence, 7. James Bracey (WK), 8. Ollie Robinson, 9. Stuart Broad, 10. Jack Leach, 11. James Anderson

*captain

The Squads

These are the other options in the squads.

New Zealand: (All-Rounders) 12. Colin de Grandhomme, 13 Mitchell Santner, (Batters) 14. Will Young, 15. Devon Conway (WK), 16. Rachin Ravindra, (Fast Bowlers) 17. Matt Henry, 18. Doug Bracewell, 19. Jacob Duffy, (Spinners), 20. Ajaz Patel

*Trent Boult will be available for the World Test Championship final, but is resting for the England series.

England: (Fast Bowlers) 12. Mark Wood, 13. Olly Stone, 14. Craig Overton, (Batters) 15. Haseeb Hameed, 16. Sam Billings (WK), (Withdrawn) Ben Foakes (WK)

Copyright (2021: 6/1/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy:

Need For Change in Women’s Cricket: Hoping Against Hope

The pandemic has elevated the disparity between men’s & women’s cricket, with the situation worsening in recent weeks.

Post-Pandemic Disorder: Women’s Cricket Scheduling Problems

March 8th, 2020 with 86,174 spectators. The crescendo beginning in the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup peaked on that day in the World T20 final between Australia and India. However, progress has stalled due to the COVID-19 break. The post-pandemic stats below show how the counterparts stacked between March 2020 & January 2021:

  1. Maximum possible days of international cricket scheduled (5 days maximum per tests)
    • Men: 128 days
    • Women: 16 days (including 5 Austria-Germany T20Is)
  2. Total Matches Played (international + T20 Leagues)
    • Men: 540
    • Women: 144

(Check out Who Cares About Women’s Cricket, where we displayed detailed list of post-COVID statistics, thoughts about women’s cricket & WIPL)

Miscommunication at its finest

Women’s cricket resumed in September 2020 as West Indies toured England. Later in the year, New Zealand played against Australia & England, and Pakistan visited South Africa. It took Indian women an entire year before playing against South Africa in March 2021. Proteas won the series comfortably 4-1 (ODIs) & 2-1 (T20I).

Although lack of match practice, domestic tournaments, & national camps was the reason for India’s defeat, highly regarded coach WV Raman was the casualty, alleging a “smear campaign” against him. Replacement Ramesh Powar, who famously had a fallout with Mithali Raj in 2018, was picked as the head coach again.

Stark Payment Gap

Although women cricketers have seen a marked increase in revenue since 2017, it is nearly not enough (with New Zealand, England, India, & Australia expanding central contracts).

BCCI’s latest contracts caused uproar. The highest paid men’s bracket is worth fourteen times as much as the highest paid women’s bracket.

Grade A+, consisting of Kohli, Sharma, and Bumrah earn about 7 crores (INR) or about $964,000 (USD). Grade A earn 5 crores ($689,000), B with 3 crores ($413,000), & C, consisting of the likes of Kuldeep & Gill, earn around 1 crore ($138,000).

Their counterparts—Mandhana, Kaur, & Poonam (Grade A) earn 50 lakhs INR ($68,000), while stalwarts like Mithali Raj & Jhulan Goswami (Grade B) plummet down to 30 lakhs ($41,000). This is comparable to the current standard around the world, but things do need to change.

What’s worse? World T20 finalist prize money worth $500,000 has not been paid yet, 14 months later. It took Isabelle Westbury’s Telegraph article & subsequent social media outrage to get BCCI to act, finally paying the dues.

The most profitable cricket board needs to allocate resources properly. The least they can do is avoid media stunts and focus on tangible progressive changes.

Hope In Times of Uncertainty

There is still hope, however.

Indian women will play two Test matches (last Test in 2014) this year, one each against England & Australia. The Test in Australia will be a day-night affair, which adds another layer of excitement.

Ireland & Scotland women are also back in action right now with a T20 series. New Zealand’s England tour in September is the only other scheduled series prior to the ODI World Cup (March 2022).

The Hundred Is the Savior

The Hundred in July this year promises to be a game-changer for women’s cricket.

All men & women’s game will be held on the same day on the same ground, will be televised (including free-to-air games), and prize money will be shared evenly between the winners of the men’s & women’s tournaments. It has the potentialize to revolutionize the women’s game and become a template for other T20 leagues to follow.

Even Indian players have been given the green signal to participate in the Women’s Hundred & the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

When Will the Attitudes Change Towards Women’s Cricket?

Australia, England, New Zealand are prime examples of how to recruit the future of women’s cricket, with efforts visible in the WBBL & New Zealand’s Super Smash tournaments.

Yet, there is still a long way to go. Each national board should prioritize women’s cricket, invest accordingly in the infrastructure, and work together with other nations to uplift standards.

Am I hoping against hope?

Copyright: Nitesh Mathur, 5/27/2021, Broken Cricket Dreams, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Photo by Ben Mack on Pexels.com

Ross Taylor, An Underrated Cricketer Who Was A Giant Among New Zealand’s Greatest Generation

Today I want to reflect upon the career of one of my all-time favorite players, Ross Taylor. We will discuss it all—the achievements, the struggles, my favorite memories, and ultimately what we can learn from him.

But you ask, why am I talking about Ross Taylor all of a sudden?

Well for once, he has been in the news recently.

Ross Taylor still has a few years of international cricket left in him, but these events just highlight that the ending is closer rather than later.

It is the beginning of the end for the greatest Kiwi generation.

Also Read: Who Are the Most Underrated Cricketers?

Embed from Getty Images

New Zealand Cricket’s Greatest Generation

New Zealand cricket is now a powerhouse. Across the three formats, their record is spectacular:

  1. Semi-finalists: 2007 & 2011 ODI World Cup; 2007 & 2016 T20 World Cups
  2. Runners-Up: 2009 Champions Trophy; 2015 & 2019 ODI World Cup finals
  3. Finalists: Inaugural World Test Championship Final

This is surely New Zealand’s greatest cricketing generation, and great teams are built upon the contributions of exceptional individuals.

Post the Martin Crowe era, New Zealand’s performances were inconsistent until the Stephen Fleming generation. With a side consisting of Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, and the feisty Brendon McCullum, the Black Caps began to generate consistent performances.

Fast forward fifteen years, New Zealand have transformed from a team that ‘perennially punches-above-their-weight’ to serious ‘contenders.’

The Brendon McCullum-Kane Williamson generation has unearthed heroes like ODI double centurion Martin Guptill, superman Grant Elliot, American-bound Corey Anderson, steadiness of Tom Latham & Henry Nicholls, the all-round power of Colin de Grandhomme, Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, & the Mitchells (Daryll and Santner), spin-guile of Ish Sodhi, and the depth with incoming youngsters like Conway-Phillips-Will Young-Tim Seifert-Tom Blundell.

From the land of dibbly-dobblies to the genuine pace regime consisting of Southee-Boult-Henry-Jamieson-Wagner-Ferguson-Milne, the transformation is complete.

One man was a constant that connected the Fleming and Williamson generations. From the promising youngster in 2006 to the calm senior in 2021, across 4 ODI World Cups, he has seen it all. The name is Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor, the second cricketer of Samoan descent to play for New Zealand.

Embed from Getty Images

The Stats – The Best #4 ODI Batsman of All-Time

When things are all said and done, Taylor will go down as the best #4 ODI batsman of all time.

InningsRunsBestAverageSR10050+
#4 (ODIs)1797664181*52.1383.471965
Ross Taylor at #4

To put this in perspective, at #4, Taylor has the (1) most runs, (2) most centuries, (3) most 50+ scores, (4) second highest individual score after Vivian Richards’ 189*, and (5) second highest average after AB De Villiers of course (with at least 100 ODIs).

His international career as a whole is not that bad either.

MatchesRunsBestAverageSR100s50s
Tests105737929045.8359.801934
ODIs2338581181*48.2082.412151
T20Is10219096326.15122.3707
Ross Taylor’s career stats

Taylor’s career can be broken down into three phases—(1) swashbuckling slog-sweeper, (2) responsible middle order batsman, (3) and absolute world dominator.

His averages between 2017-2020: 60.50, 91.28, 55.47, 99.00. 6 hundreds, 19 fifties. Brilliant.

Ross Taylor Records In a Nutshell

Overall

  • 1st cricketer to play 100+ matches in each international format.
  • 3rd most catches combined (340) behind only Mahela Jayawardene & Ricky Ponting

New Zealand

  • Most capped player (440) for New Zealand across formats
  • Highest run scorer, most hundreds, and most fifties for New Zealand in ODIs
  • Highest run scorer in Tests, second most hundreds after Kane Williamson

Individual

  • 3 double centuries in Tests
  • 3 consecutive ODI centuries – 112* Vs India, 102 Vs India, 105* Vs Pakistan (2014)
  • 6 consecutive ODI fifties – 181*, 80, 86*, 54, 90, 137 (2018-19) Vs England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
  • 5 ODI centuries Vs England

New Zealand Cricket Awards

  • Sir Richard Hadlee Award: 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2019-2020
  • ODI Player of the Year: 2010-11, 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19
  • Test Player of the Year: 2012-13, 2013-14
  • T20I Player of the Year: 2019-2020
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The Beginning

He burst onto the scene in 2006, scoring an unbeaten 128 against Sri Lanka in only his 3rd ODI. He debuted in Test cricket a year later and found success in 2008 against his favorite opponent, England. Taylor would score 120 in Hamilton against them and 154* at Manchester later in the year.

My First Memory

My first memory of Ross Taylor was in that magnificent 2006-07 series vs Australia, one of the best ODI series of that era. The Kiwis whitewashed Australia 3-0 scoring 340 & 350 respectively in successful chases. These were the days where chasing 270 was considered a difficult task.

Taylor was the architect of the 2nd ODI, scoring 117 to go along with a brilliant diving catch at Eden Park.

Early IPL Career

Next came IPL 2009. I was already a fan of the 2009 RCB team – stalwarts Rahul Dravid & Anil Kumble, Robin Uthappa, and youngsters Manish Pandey & Virat Kohli. Finisher Ross Taylor just took RCB to the next level, one of their key players taking Royal Challengers Bangalore to their first final.

His best IPL innings was the 81*(33) Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Kolkata Knight Riders. Coincidentally, Taylor’s 81* overpowered countrymen Brendon McCullum’s 84*.

At the halfway stage, the required rate hovered around 11. What came next was pure genius. With 52 needed off 24, Taylor unleashed five slog-sweeping sixes against the likes of fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Ajit Agarkar. RCB won by 4 balls to spare. He would play a couple of more cameos in 2009, including a player of the match performance in the Champions League.

In the next few seasons, Taylor would play steady knocks for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, but his T20 form never reached the heights of that 2009 season again.

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Best Moments

Birthday Special – 2011 Cricket World Cup

One of Taylor’s sweetest moments came on his 27th birthday in the 2011 Cricket World Cup at Pallekele, when Kamran Akmal’s dropped catches and an array of full tosses literally gifted him a memorable birthday present.

He would make the most of this opportunity. After slowly rebuilding to 69* (108), what followed was carnage. He ended up scoring 131* (124) with 7 sixes. Carving away off-side yorkers, slogging leg-sided deliveries into the stand, and thrashing Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, and Shahid Afridi, this was Taylor at his best. In the last six overs, NZ scored 114 and gave Pakistan their only loss of the group stage.

Apart from that mild altercation with the South African team in the quarterfinals, it was a pretty decent tournament for the Kiwis.

A Double Century To Remember

Taylor was going through a lean patch in 2014-2015. Although he had a few 30s and 40s, questions were being asked on his place in the Test squad. On a flat track in Perth (when does that ever happen?), Taylor made the most of his opportunities, scoring a brilliant 290 & 36* with a 265-run partnership with Kane Williamson. That would be the end of Mitchell Johnson’s career.

Best Innings

Ross Taylor saved his best (thus far) against England at Dunedin in 2018. Chasing 336, New Zealand were reduced to 2-2 in 3 overs. Then he mastered a chase….on one leg.

That’s right.

When Taylor was 107, he ran for a two and dove to reach the crease in time. In the process, he injured himself. New Zealand still needed 116 from 13 overs. Since he could not run twos, for the last ten overs it was all stand-and-deliver stuff. The fact that he stayed in and remained unbeaten just blows my mind.

With healthy support from Williamson, de Grandhomme, and Henry Nicholls as well as a 187-run partnership with Tom Latham, NZ’s third highest successful run chase (after that 2006-07 Australia series) was complete. Following tradition, it was a day before his 34th birthday.

Here are some of the commentary clips from Taylor’s innings. Just dominated all across the park.

Pull over long leg… Swung over long on… Flicked… Slaps it to point boundary…Swats it powerfully…Beats deep square… Carts it over deep mid-wicket… Over backward point… Beats third man… Conventional sweep… Through extra cover! Out of the ground.

Definitely a candidate for the best ODI innings in a chase of all-time. Epic.

My favorite Taylor innings by far.

India Vs New Zealand 2019

One criticism of this New Zealand generation is not being able to lift the elusive trophy after seven ICC knockouts opportunities in the last 15 years.

Taylor himself had not played a match defining innings in a high-profile game apart from a few steady 40s here and there (I believed in the 2015 World Cup Final when Elliot-Taylor had ‘rescued’ NZ to 150 in 35 overs. In came James Faulkner for the final powerplay, dismissed Taylor off the first ball, and took the game away. Dreams crushed.)

In the 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-final, he finally came to the party. 74 (90) might not seem too much, but in the context of a slow pitch & disciplined bowling attacks, this was a precious little innings, keeping NZ’s middle order together.

Unfortunate that his innings ended with a direct hit from Ravindra Jadeja, but by then, NZ had pushed to a competitive total.

A Word On the Williamson-Taylor Partnership

Speaking of run-outs, Kane Williamson & Ross Taylor. The best number #3-4 pair of the decade, but not so good between the wickets.

With the exception of McCullum-Guptill, New Zealand have often rotated through their openers resulting in frequent top-order collapses and slow starts. This brings in Taylor and Williamson in the game to do what they do best—read the situation, soak in the pressure, nudge it for singles and doubles, dab down to third man, flick it off the hip.

Next thing you know, the innings is halfway done, wickets are in hand, and the acceleration has begun. Standard Williamson-Taylor template.

The thing is they seem to do it over and over….and over…again. Astonishing consistency.

The Struggles

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Captaincy

At the peak of his batting form, Ross Taylor was handed captaincy after an interview process, narrowly edging out Brendon McCullum. His two year tenure ended unceremoniously. Post a disastrous 2012 T20 World Cup and a tour of Sri Lanka, Taylor was sacked unceremoniously as captain from all three formats, without proper communication, especially from coach Mike Hesson. Putting this aside, he fought through and scored 142 & 74 against Sri Lanka.

He took a break from the game and skipped the subsequent tour of South Africa. New Zealand folded for 45 against Steyn-Philander-Morne Morkel and lost the first test by an innings and 27 runs. This match would be the catalyst for McCullum to compete in an ultra aggressive approach that catapulted them to the 2015 World Cup final. Taylor was selected back into the side as the trio put their differences aside.

However, as McCullum writes in his book Declared, the incident “gouged a rift between us that will probably never heal.” Taylor himself states that the top job probably “came a couple of years before I was ready.”

Eye Surgery

The 290 at the WACA is special, but you know what is more special? Scoring that many runs against the pace of Josh Hazlewood & the Mitchells—Johnson, Starc, Marsh without a functioning eye.

He had to have a surgery in 2016 to remove the pterygium in his eye. This probably gave him that extra bit of timing that sparked the second wind in his career and elongated his career.

Martin Crowe

Apart from being a Black Cap legend and a critical thinker of the game, Martin Crowe was a mentor to the current crop of players in the New Zealand side, especially Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor. Crowe lost a tough battle with cancer in 2016, which impacted them both tremendously. After Taylor went past Crowe’s all-time Test record and closed in on his 100th test, Taylor could not hold his tears back in a press conference.

In his own words, Crowe was “New Zealand’s best ever Test batsman, best ever cricketing brain, a genius, and someone that inspired thousands of Kiwis and thousands of people overseas as well.”

End of his T20 career?

Ross Taylor was dropped from the T20I squad last year due to scintillating performances from Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips. He needs to re-invent his T20 game if he has any chance of resurrecting his T20I career. Since the upcoming T20 World Cup allows a squad of 23, I think he might just find a place.

What We Can Learn From Ross Taylor & the New Zealand team?

New Zealand Cricket Team: Camaraderie & Team Spirit Galore

Why are the Kiwis everybody’s second favorite team? Is it just because of the 2019 World Cup Final and the obsession with captain Kane Williamson’s smile? Umm…maybe.

Or is it because of the talent among the group? Possibly. Maybe it is due to the aggressive approach installed by McCullum’s captaincy? Maybe, maybe not.

Above all, I believe it is the due to the camaraderie between the players in the New Zealand team. Although Kane Williamson is the star of the team, he acts just like a core member and nothing more. Tim Southee is happy to relinquish his place for in-form Matt Henry and instead take diving catches as a substitute fielder. BJ Watling is going out but has given his complete support to Tom Blundell, the next in line.

This is exactly what this New Zealand team is all about. Actually, this is what sport is about. Give it your all, play aggressively on the field, respect the opposition, live & die for each member of your team.

This quote below encapsulates the dynamic within the Black Caps unit.

Legendary NBA coach for the Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson once said, “The strength of the team is each individual player. The strength of each member is the team.”

Source: 40 Awesome Team Player Quotes for Tomorrow’s Leader – Quotes Muse

Ross Taylor’s Legacy: Stable, Steady, Responsible

One of the most popular cricketing social media question is, “Is Ross Taylor the most underrated batsman of our era?” First of all, I am not a huge fan of these pointless clichés like ‘underrated,’ overrated,’ ‘unluckiest,’ etc., etc.

Anyway, in my books, Taylor will go down as one of the all-time greats of our game. To do what Taylor has done for how long he has done it is truly remarkable. It turns out that slow and steady actually does win you the race.

Will Ross Taylor be remembered as talented as Sir Vivian Richards or the recently retired with confirmation, AB De Villiers? Was he as technically adept as Williamson and the Fab 5? Did he have the exquisite timing of Hashim Amla or the free-flowing nature of Mohammad Yousuf?

It all depends on your point of view, but one thing is for certain—Taylor is the glue that kept New Zealand together for so many years.

What can you learn from his life and apply to yours?

  • Dependability – In case of a crisis, you could always depend on Ross Taylor. It might not pay off every time, but he had the uncanny ability of turning gloomy situations into positive ones. Not only as a batsman, his role as a trusted slip fielder as well.

Be dependable. Regardless of what is going around on you, internally or externally, try to weather the storm. Once you overcome the obstacle, lend out a hand and help someone else out in need.

  • Balance – Once Taylor rescued NZ from precarious situation, he knew when to accelerate and who to turn the strike to.

Be self-aware. Known your limitations and balance your life accordingly. Too much of anything is harmful. Learn how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

  • Responsibility – Taylor curbed his natural gameplay and transformed from a slogger to an accumulator to suit his side’s needs. In order to accommodate the firepower at the top & the lower order, somebody needed to take the responsibility and be that insurance policy.

Be responsible. Sometimes giving up your own personal comfort for others around you is the way to go. Follow your dreams, but also combine it with a slight dose of practicality.

There is probably no better match than Ross Taylor & the New Zealand cricket team, or shall I say they are tailor-made for each other (bad joke, sorry 😅). His responsible character gelled perfectly into the team spirit.

What will I remember the most? The tongue celebration, his bent stance, hard bottom-hand grip, the slog sweeps, and the numerous partnerships, and the calm demeanor.

I will leave you with a smiling picture of Ross Taylor. Because why not.

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Ross Taylor Videos

  1. 181* Vs England

2. 290 Vs Australia (WACA)

3. Ross Taylor Vs Pakistan (2011 Cricket World Cup)

3. Leg Side Sixes

4. 25 Questions With Ross Taylor (ESPN Cricinfo)

5. Fastest Century by a BLACKCAP (until Brendon McCullum 2016) – 81 ball century vs Australia (2010)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Who Is the best player in New Zealand?

When things are all said and done, Kane Williamson will probably be regarded as the greatest New Zealand batsman of all time.
Yet, for New Zealand cricket to get to this point, players like Martin Crowe, Ross Taylor, Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, and Brendon McCullum, have played their parts.Photo of Ross Taylor, New Zealand's great cricketer

How Good is the New Zealand Cricket Team?

Ranked #1 in ODIs, #2 in Tests, and #3 in T20Is according to the latest ICC rankings (2021), the New Zealand cricket team is definitely one of the best going around. The fact that they have qualified for 8 different semi-finals or finals in the last 15 years across the formats makes this generation of New Zealand team one of their bests ever.

Is Ross Taylor an Underrated Cricketer?

Ross Taylor is one of the unsung heroes of New Zealand cricket, but he will go down as one of the all-time greats of our game. To do what Taylor has done for how long he has done it is truly remarkable. It turns out that slow and steady does actually win you the race.

What makes Ross Taylor such a special cricketer?

Taylor’s ability to read the situation makes him such a special cricketer. Knows exactly when to attack and when to soak in the pressure.

What was Taylor’s highest score in one day cricket?

Taylor’s highest score is 181* in a run-chase in Dunedin (2018) against England.
Second highest score in a successful run chase.

What is Ross Taylor’s Birthday?

Ross Taylor was born on March 8th, 1984 (8/27/1984).

Why does Ross Taylor stick his tongue out when he scores a century?

Taylor’s unique celebration can be credited to his daughter, Mackenzie. It is a tradition that started during his ODI hundred against Australia in 2007 and “made her happy.” He continues his famous tongue-poking celebration to this day and even passed on the tradition to his son, Jonty.

Tribute to Other Cricket Legends

Thank you all for reading! Really appreciate it.

If you like these stories about cricket legends, check these some of my earlier featured articles below:

  1. Rahul Dravid: What Rahul Dravid Taught Me?
  2. MS Dhoni & SK Raina: Retirement: An End of an Era
  3. Shakib-Rahim-Iqbal-Mortaza-Mahmudullah: Why Shakib And Co Are the True Fab 5 of this Era?
  4. Lasith Malinga: The Slinga, Slayer, and Superstar
  5. Ellyse Perry: What Can Ellyse Perry Not do?
  6. Dean Jones: A Celebration of Life
  7. AB De Villiers & Faf Du Plessis: Can Faf Fulfill the Broken Dream of ABD?
  8. Umar Gul: The Magician With the Yorker
  9. Sam Curran: Why the World Needs Same Curran: Calm, Charismatic, Courageous
  10. Joe Denly & Joe Biden: The Importance of Being Joe
  11. Nicholas Pooran: A Story of Pain, Hope, & Inspiration: The Next Big Thing of West Indies & World Cricket

5/18/2021Copyright – @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Ross TaylorChubby Chandru, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Review: Record-Breaking Australia Too Good For White Ferns

Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women Series Review—An All-Time great Australian team brushes aside a struggling White Ferns outfit, the home team. A few major moments in this series.

The return of Ellyse Perry, Australia Women breaking Ponting’s ODI streak, Kasperek’s 3-wicket over, and Ashleigh Gardner’s golden run were some of the highlights.

Also Read: West Indies Vs Bangladesh Review, West Indies Vs New Zealand Review

Results – Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women

T20I Series: Series Drawn 1-1

* Player of Match

  1. Australia Women won by 6 wickets*Ashleigh Gardner
  2. New Zealand Women won by 4 wickets*Frances Mackay
  3. No Result
Player of SeriesAustralia WomenNew Zealand Women
Most RunsAshleigh Gardner – 76 runs (2 inn)
Best of 73*, 149.01 SR
Amelia Kerr – 56 runs
Best of 36, 90.32 SR
Most WicketsJess Jonassen – 3 wickets
Best of 3/26, 6.00 economy
Frances Mackay – 3 wickets
Best of 2/20, 6.12 economy
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women T20I Series Stats

ODI Series: Australia Win 3-0

  1. Australia Women won by 6 wickets*Megan Schutt
  2. Australia Women won by 71 runs*Rachael Haynes
  3. Australia Women won by 21 runs (25 overs)*Alyssa Healy
Player of SeriesAustralia Women
Megan Schutt
New Zealand Women
Most RunsAlyssa Healy – 155 runs
Best of 65, 51.66 average, 98.72 SR
Lauren Down – 106 runs
Best of 90, 35.33 average, 68.83 SR
Most WicketsMegan Schutt – 7 wickets
Best of 4/32, 13.14 average, 4.18 economy
Leigh Kasperek – 9 wickets
Best of 6/46, 7.77 average, 4.66 economy
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 ODI Series Stats

The Moments

Australia Women

  • Ellyse Perry finally came back since injuring herself in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. Before the pandemic hit. Although not back to her fluent self, she finished a couple of games with 23* and 56*. Bowling is still a worry though. In the 3 ODIs & 3 T20Is, she bowled a combined 7 overs with only one wicket to her name. With Alyssa Healy hitting form in the T20I series, good signs for Australia that their two best batters are getting back to their best.
  • Ashleigh Gardner has been on a golden run in the past two years, hitting 3 T20I fifties (best of 93), including a 73* in this series. Also hit a 53* in an ODI and rolled her arm a few times for part-time off-spin.
  • Jess Jonassen & Megan Schutt were the pick of this series with the ball. Jonassen’s 3 wickets in the T20I gave Australia the edge in the first T20I, while figures of 4/32, 1/38, & 2/22 earned Schutt the Player of the Series award in the ODI series. With 99 wickets (ODI) & 96 wickets (T20Is), she is on a verge of couple of records.

Nicola Carey (3/34 in 1st ODI), Rachel Haynes (87 in 2nd ODI) starred in a couple of games as well.

Also Read: What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?

The Record

Speaking of records, let us talk about the big one. Meg Lanning has now led Australia to 24 consecutive ODI wins, regrouping after their 2017 WC defeat against India. They overtook Ricky Ponting’s 21 consecutive ODI wins in the great 2003 era.

This is a huge achievement for the Australian team, and it will take quite a dominant team to take over this record. I am saying this may last a couple of decades. CONGRATULATIONS TO Lanning and the rest of this Australian team.

New Zealand Women

  • Leigh Kasperek was one of the only stand-outs from the Kiwi side in the ODIs. Although Australia swept the series, Kasperek took a 6-wicket haul, including 3 wickets in the same over in the 3rd ODI. Australia are really good, there is still room for improvement against spin.
  • Frances Mackay’s show won New Zealand their only victory in the 2nd T20I of the series. Opening the bowling, her spell of 4-0-20-2 stalled Australia’s run-rate, but her courageous batting display won her praise. Mackay opened the batting as well and battled through an injury to score 46 (39). After her wicket, Kiwis collapsed from 81-2 in 12 overs to 101-6 when Amelia Kerr got out in 17.0 overs. Composed 30-run partnership between Maddy Green & Hannah Rowe took New Zealand off the last ball. Thriller.
  • Breakout tour for Lauren Down. Only 75 runs in 10 innings prior to this tour, her 90 (134) set the platform for the White Ferns in the first ODI. Unfortunately, the lower order collapsed, and Australia women completed the record breaking streak.

Awards

Australia WomenNew Zealand Women
Emerging PlayerNicola CareyLauren Down
Surprise PackageAshleigh Gardner, the all-rounder Frankie Mackay
Broken Cricket DreamEllyse Perry’s bowling load The White Ferns’ Declining form
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

New Zealand Women tour England for 3 T20Is and 5 ODIs In September, while Australia do not have anything scheduled till the 2022 ODI World Cup next March (to be held in New Zealand).

That means, the next major tournament, is going to be the Hundred this summer in England. Will be a game-changer for women’s cricket.

Comment below for your favorite moments & squad predictions! Subscribe for more below! Share with your friends as well! Here is our Facebook Twitter pages.

Copyright (2021: 4/10/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

India Vs South Africa Women 2021 Series Preview: Cricket Finally Makes A Comeback to Women’s Cricket

India Vs South Africa Women 2021 Series Preview—finally some progress in women’s cricket in India.

Earlier, we explored why Nobody Cares About Women’s Cricket. The Indian men have played a 60 day IPL, had a complete tour of Australia, and is now hosting England for a full series. On the other hand, Indian women have played half-a-week long T20 Challenge. That is it. No training either until recently. This will be India’s first assignment since the World T20 Final on March 8th, 2020.

Meanwhile South Africa women are coming on back of a 3-0 ODI & 2-1 T20I victory against Pakistan at home. Here is a preview of the 5 ODI & 3 T20I match tour between India and South Africa. Here is what you should expect, the big surprises in team selection, the squads, and our series prediction.

When and Where?

Here are the dates and the venue for the India Vs South Africa Women series.

ODIs

  1. 6 March, 2021 – Lucknow
  2. 8 March, 2021 – Lucknow
  3. 11 March, 2021 – Lucknow
  4. 13 March 2021 – Lucknow
  5. 16 March 2021 – Lucknow

T20Is

  1. 20 March, 2021 – Lucknow
  2. 21 March, 2021 – Lucknow
  3. 24 March, 2021 – Lucknow

Also Read: What If Indian Women Had Won the 2017 World Cup?, What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?

The Batting

India: Blend of Youth & Experience Key

  • Mithali Raj, the highest run scorer in Women’s ODI cricket, is just 85 runs shy of 10,000 international runs across formats (6888 ODI, 2364 T20I, 663 Tests). After 487 days away from national duty, she will back trying to take India to the ODI World Cup next year. At 38, this might be Raj’s final hurrah.
  • On the other end of the spectrum, watch out for the explosive 17-year-old Shafali Verma in the T20Is. She already has 19 international caps and strikes it at 146.24.
  • A lot will depend on the India’s experienced middle order. Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Sushma Verma (comeback) will need to make sure India bats 50 overs in case of a collapse.

South Africa: Enviable Top-Order With Lee, Wolfvaardt, and Luus

  • If the top order of Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolfvaardt, and Sune Luus play to their potential, this South African team will be very hard to beat. Luus also has the extra responsibility of the stand-in captain in the absence of injured Dan van Niekerk.
  • Lookout for Trisha Chetty. A veteran of 114 ODIs, the wicketkeeper-batsman is integral to the core of this South African side.
  • Tazmin Brits is the in-form T20I batsman for South Africa. With scores of 52* & 66, she was the Player of the T20I series against Pakistan.

The Bowling

India: Shikha Pandey’s Omission The Talking Point

  • In the build up to this series, the omission of India’s pace spearhead, Shikha Pandey, has taken the public by surprise. India’s most successful pace bowler of recent times and 2nd highest wicket taker in India’s last assignment (T20 World Cup) this is a huge call.
  • In Shikha’s absence, the pace responsibility will lie with the veteran Jhulan Goswami, Mansi Joshi, and Arundhati Reddy (T20I only)
  • I am most excited to watch India’s spin trio—Poonam Yadav, the T20 World Cup star,, Radha Yadav, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. The youngster, Harleen Deol, impressed in the T20 Challenge with the Trailblazers and might get more opportunities to showcase her talent on the international stage.

South Africa: Ample Fast Bowling Resources, but Spin the Concern

  • The allrounder, Marizanne Kapp, is the glue that holds South Africa’s together. In the Player of the Match performance in the 2nd ODI against Pakistan, she scored an unbeaten 68 along with 3-44 as the opening pace bowler. Brilliant.
  • Shabnam Ismail is one of the best fast bowlers on women’s cricket circuit at the moment. South Africa’s highest wicket taker in both ODIs and T20Is, she will be key to South Africa’s success.
  • Without regular captain and off-spinner van Niekerk, South Africa’s spin bowling department is the concern.

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The Broken Dream

India: Shikha Pandey & Veda Krishnamurthy

  • Along with Mandhana, Raj, & Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy caught the public’s eye in the 2017 ODI World Cup as India’s finisher. Yet, an ODI average of 25.9 & T20I average of 18.61 was not justifiable. Hopefully this is just a short term loss of form, and she we come roaring back soon.
  • Harmanpreet Kaur insisted that Pandey was ‘rested, not dropped‘ in order to experiment with the rest of the squad for upcoming tournaments. I do not buy this statement given a 18-member squad was picked regardless and that India has not played any international cricket for over a year.

South Africa: Masabata Klaas

  • South Africa are carrying a settled squad, with the exception of Klass. She suffered a last-minute injury in the Pakistan series and has not been picked for this series.

Prediction

Verdict: 3-2 South Africa (ODIs) & 2-1 India (T20Is)

South Africa’s top order and fast bowlers should give them the edge in the ODIs. Expect competitive games with scores around 225-250.

I am going with India 2-1 for the T20I series. The swashbuckling top order of Jemimah, Shafali, and Mandhana may be too much to handle for South Africa. India should look to bat first, put up a decent score, and let the spin trio handle the rest.

Let us know your thoughts on India Vs South Africa Women, and the eventual scorelines.

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My Starting XIs

These are my starting XIs (assuming everyone is available in terms of COVID and injuries).

ODI

India

  1. Jemimah Rodrigues, 2. Smriti Mandhana, 3. Priya Punia, 4. Mithali Raj*, 5. Harmanpreet Kaur, 6. Deepti Sharma, 7. Sushma Verma (WK), 8. Jhulan Goswami, 9. Poonam Yadav, 10. Mansi Joshi, 11. Rajeshwari Gayakwad

South Africa

  1. Lizelle Lee, 2. Laura Wolvaardt, 3. Sune Luus (C), 4. Lara Goodall, 5. Mignon du Preez , 6. Marizanne Kapp, 7. Trisha Chetty (WK), 8. Shabnim Ismail, 9. Nondumiso Shangase, 10. Ayabonga Khaka, 11. Nonkululeo Mlaba

*captain

T20I

India

  1. Shafali Verma, 2. Smriti Mandhana, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur*, 5. Deepti Sharma, 6. Sushma Verma (WK), 7. Richa Ghosh, 8. Radha Yadav, 9. Poonam Yadav, 10. Mansi Joshi/Arundhati Reddy, 11. Rajeshwari Gayakwad/Harleen Deol

South Africa

  1. Lizelle Lee, 2. Tazmin Brits, 3.Marizanne Kapp, 4. Laura Wolvaardt, 5. Sune Luus (C), 6. Sinalo Jafta (WK), 7. Mignon du Preez,, 8. Shabnim Ismail, 9. Nondumiso Shangase, 10. Ayabonga Khaka, 11. Nonkululeo Mlaba

The Squads

India: (ODIs) Punam Raut, Dayalan Hemalatha, Radha Yadav, Yastika Bhatia, Monica Patel, Challuru Pratyusha, Sweta Verma (WK), (T20Is) Ayushi Soni, Nuzhat Parween (WK), Challuru Pratyusha, Monica Patel, Simran Bahadur

South Africa: (ODIs) Tazmin Brits, Anne Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, Faye Tunnicliffe, (T20Is) Tumi Sekhukune, Faye Tunnicliffe, Lara Goodall, Nadine de Klerk, Trisha Chetty

Copyright (2021: 3/6/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Shikha Pandey – Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons