Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand here tomorrow with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home.
Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC’s world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup.
On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event.
New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rival Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
While the spinners stood out in both games with a bagful of wickets on pitches that aided turn, left-arm fast medium bowler Mitchell McClenaghan proved to be Australia’s nemesis with a three-wicket burst in hilly Dharamsala.
McClenaghan aside, the likes of left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum troubled the Aussies as well as the Indians, with their guile and accuracy.
The fact that skipper Kane Williamson has yet to give frontline pacers Tim Southee and Trent Boult a game in this tournament gives ample demonstrations of New Zealand’s depth in bowling.
Considering the Pakistani batsmen’s susceptibility against quality bowling, the Kiwi attack will definitely fancy their fancy their chances at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
However, batting is an area New Zealand would do well to address.
Barring Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi, the batsmen struggled against India. When Australia confronted them, Martin Guptill to-scored with 39, while Williamson, Colin Munro and Grant Elliott all got starts but could not go on to make a big one. As a result, the tournament is till to witness a half century from the blade of a New Zealander.
