New Zealand v Australia, 2nd ODI, Napier – Preview
After the nerve-wracking first One-Day International in Auckland where Marcus Stoinis nearly turned defeat into a sensational victory, New Zealand and Australia brace for another slug-fest in the second ODI at Napier’s McLean Park on Thursday (February 2).
Single-handedly, Stoinis kept Australia in the hunt with a spectacular unbeaten 146 after his side had been reduced to 67 for 6 chasing the home team’s 286 for 9. But the run out of Josh Hazlewood, the last man, meant Stoinis ran out of partners and Australia ran out of wickets, being bowled out for 280 to go down by six runs.
Stoinis had also taken three wickets with his medium-pace in the New Zealand innings, which reiterated that individual brilliance often plays second fiddle to a team effort. “If you look at the stat book after making 140-odd and taking three-for, it doesn't feel that good," Stoinis said of the Auckland defeat. “It just shows how much of a team game cricket is and how important winning is to everyone. I'm happy to an extent but probably not what I would imagine.
“As an all-round game, it's what you dream of and think about when you close your eyes before the game,” he added. “I've had smoother innings than this but this is a different kind of pressure. To put the performance on the board feels good.”
For Australia to keep its hopes of retaining the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy alive, it must win in Napier and push the three-match series to the decider in Hamilton. And even though it is without several of its first-choice players, it possesses the wherewithal to do that.
Australia will have to make do without the services of Matthew Wade for the entire series. Originally named skipper for the three-match series with Steve Smith injured and David Warner travelling to Dubai to prepare for the Test series starting in India later this month, Wade sustained a back injury on the eve of the first game on Monday.
With the wicketkeeper not recovering sufficiently for Thursday’s match, Cricket Australia announced that he would return to Melbourne for treatment to ensure he is fit for the four-Test series in India. The first of those Tests starts in Pune on February 23.
Aaron Finch will continue to lead the side for the remaining games, and will expect more from himself as well as Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, the other experienced hands in the top order. Marsh and Maxwell will both be on the flight to Dubai – where Australia have a short conditioning camp before the India Tests -- at the conclusion of this series along with Peter Handscomb, even as Finch will marshall Australia’s challenge in three Twenty20 Internationals at home against Sri Lanka starting on February 17.
There is great quality and depth in the Australian bowling attack headlined by Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood, with Pat Cummins and James Faulkner more than mere support acts. They kept New Zealand honest at various stages on Monday with only Martin Guptill, Neil Broom and James Neesham batting with any fluency. Of them, Guptill has been ruled out of the second game with a hamstring injury and Dean Brownlie has been named his replacement. Brownlie’s last international outing was back in December 2014, and if he does play on Thursday, Australia will look to exploit any nerves the right-hand batsman might exhibit.
New Zealand is without Luke Ronchi, its first-choice wicketkeeper who is down with an adductor injury. Tom Latham donned the big gloves in Auckland and will continue to do so for the rest of the series, and will hope that Guptill, his regular opening partner, recovers along expected lines and is available for the final ODI in Hamilton on February 5.
Teams (from):
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Colin Munro, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Dean Brownlie.
Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Sam Heazlett, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
