ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Why New Zealand are the dark horses of the tournament

The New Zealand team are known to punch above their weight and play their heart out in each and every tournament they feature in. There has hardly been any multinational tournament where New Zealand start as favourites, however.

But they have been able to perform way above anyone’s expectations, more often than not. The World Cup 2015 runners up are the dark horses yet again in the ongoing Champions Trophy. Here is a look at why they could trouble the tournament favourites and might even make it to the next round.

Fearsome openers

Martin Guptill has the second highest individual score in ODIs, 237. The ease with which he clears the in-field and goes over the top in the powerplays makes life difficult for the bowlers. Luke Ronchi, his opening partner, is also known for his aggressive and fearless batting. His 64 against Australia was evidence that he can continue the damage if Guptill falls cheaply.

These two have the responsibility of providing a flying start for the likes of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to capitalise on, as they middle-order duo are not the ones who attack from the word go.

In the warm up game against Sri Lanka, Guptill smashed a scintillating century, while Ronchi notched up a half century in the washed out game against the Aussies. Looking at the form they are in, it would not be wrong to expect more fireworks from Guptill and Ronchi.

The Kane

Williamson is one of the best batsmen in the world

Kane Williamson, the skipper, has been the batting mainstay for the Kiwis for quite a long time now. His ability to adapt to the conditions and situation makes him a class act. The consistency he has shown over the past 2-3 years has been one of the major reasons for the rise of New Zealand cricket.

Touted as one of the best batsmen of the generation, along with Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Steven Smith, he has led his team from the front with the bat as well. It was evident from his well-constructed ton against Australia where he scored 100 off 97 balls, which was his ninth one-day international century. His role is to anchor the innings with the hard-hitters floating around him, which he has done with utmost efficiency more often than not.

Balanced side

The Kiwis are traditionally known to be a team packed with a handful of all-rounders. And the story is no different this time. The likes of Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Colin de Grandhome are all capable all-rounders who can bowl at least 6 overs and bat in the top 7.

Though there is a problem of whom to select, this is a headache any team would love to have. More importantly, these players give much-needed balance to the team and at the same time give the captain the freedom to go with one extra bowler or one extra batsman, depending on the conditions.

Lethal pacers

Boult’s pace and swing will be key

Tim Southee is currently one of the most potent swing bowlers around. Trent Boult can swing the ball with pace and the angle he generates while bowling to the right-handers makes him a lethal weapon.

Adam Milne, with his sheer pace, is sure to trouble batsmen on English wickets, as he did against the Aussies in their tournament opener. Mitchell McClenaghan is coming off a successful IPL stint with the Mumbai Indians. He mostly uses bounce to trouble the batsmen and can be particularly effective against the Asian sides.

However, any combination of three out of the four pacers will be a threat for opposition teams. As evident from the match against Australia, these Kiwi attack can make life difficult for batsmen on any given track.

Weaknesses

Middle order is the weakest link in this lineup. The batting is over reliant on the likes of Taylor, Williamson and Guptill. The lack of a genuine finisher is something that could hurt them in crucial situations. Though it remains to be seen how they adapt when the top order fails, it was evident from the match against Australia that the middle order needs to step up.

The experienced Corey Anderson will be the key for New Zealand to finish their innings well. Handling the pressure will be tricky and Anderson’s experience might come in handy but that has eluded them in the recent past.

The rain curtailed game against Australia was just another instance when the lower middle order was unable to capitalise on a good start. In order to reach the next phase of the tournament, they need to pull up their sleeves and perform for the team.

Prediction

The margin for error is very thin

After the washout in their first match, which they had a good chance of winning, chances are bleak for the Kiwis to advance to the semi finals. In order to reach the next round, they need to beat both England and Bangladesh and also maintain a good net run rate. However, New Zealand are a team who can’t be written off, as evident from the big tournaments over the past decade.

If the Australia match was anything to go by, the Kiwis can not be taken lightly by any opposition. A place in the semi finals can not be ruled out for the Kiwis provided that they perform the way they played against their Trans-tasman rivals and not crumble under pressure.