World Cup 2019: 3 weaknesses of New Zealand that India need to exploit in the semi-finals

The first semi-final in the 2019 World Cup is between two teams whose group encounter was washed out due to rain. While India finished on top of the table in group stages, New Zealand after winning 5 games, lost 3 on the trot to Pakistan, Australia and England and finished 4th.

The encounter promises to be an exciting one. The game is to be played at Manchester where India triumphed against Pakistan and West Indies in the group stages. New Zealand have also tasted success on this ground where they beat West Indies by a narrow margin of 5 runs in their encounter.

India and New Zealand have faced each other 8 times in World Cup and the Kiwis are marginally ahead of India. The Kiwis have won four and lost three while one encounter against India was washed out due to rain.

New Zealand have struggled in the second half of the World Cup and here are three weaknesses which team India need to exploit.

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#1 Poor form of openers

Guptill has scored 166 runs in 8 innings in the 2019 World Cup

Martin Guptill, the top scorer of the 2015 World Cup, has been struggling to score runs in the ongoing World Cup. After blasting an unbeaten 73 in the first game against Sri Lanka, the opener has scored only 93 runs in the 7 innings thereafter.

Guptill has struggled in particular against left-handed bowlers this World Cup and the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Cottrell, Mohammad Amir and Jason Behrendorff have dismissed him. If the Indian quicks fail to get Guptill early, it will not be a bad idea to have a left-handed spinner to bowl to Guptill.

Apart from Guptill, Colin Munro and Henry Nicholls have struggled to get going this World Cup. After scoring an unbeaten half-century against Sri Lanka, Munro has scored only 67 runs in his remaining 5 innings and was subsequently left out of the last two group matches. His replacement Henry Nicholls has only 8 runs in two innings.

Thus the Indian bowlers will look to take advantage of the brittle New Zealand openers and will look to break through early in the semi-finals.

#2 Inconsistent batting by Ross Taylor and Tom Latham

Ross Taylor has performed below his standards

New Zealand's most experienced cricketer Ross Taylor has failed to score big runs this World Cup. Though the middle order batsman has scored two half-centuries this World Cup, he has struggled to keep the run rate ticking. In 7 innings, the former Kiwi skipper has scored 261 runs at a strike rate of 75.87. It will be vital that the Indian spinners to keep Taylor in control during the first half of his innings as he has failed to a accelerate in the death overs and has often lost his wicket in an effort to accelerate the scoring.

Tom Latham too has struggled to score runs in the World Cup. Apart from the last game against England where he scored 57, the wicket-keeper batsman has scored only 41 runs in the remaining six innings. An average of 16.33 and a strike rate of 65.77 does not make for good reading and team India will look to get Latham out early.

No. 4 and 5 are vital batting positions and team India will look to get Taylor and Latham out early so that the bowlers can get into the lower middle order quickly.

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#3 Ineffective spinners

Santner has picked up just 4 wickets in the 2019 World Cup

The bowling form of Mitchell Santner will be a concern for the New Zealand team management. The left-handed spinner has struggled to take wickets this World Cup. In 7 matches, Santner has picked up just 4 wickets at an average of 69.25 and strike rate of 81. New Zealand will need Santner to be at his very best against Indian batsmen who are very good players of spin bowling. Indian batsmen, on the other end, will look to make most of Santner's indifferent form and attack him right from the word go.

Ish Sodhi, the second spinner in the New Zealand squad has just played a solitary game this World Cup against Australia and bowled 6 wicketless overs.

Thus the New Zealand spinners are low on confidence and Team India have to take advantage of the same by attacking the spinners.