T20 World Cup | Road to Final: New Zealand’s has been a journey of turning promise into performance

When New Zealand started their journey in the T20 World Cup, it would have breathed a sigh of relief to find themselves in a group that wasn't as deadly as the other one. However, Afghanistan’s performance in the first game, where they bundled out Scotland for meagre 60 was more than a virtual threat to the Kiwi dreams of making it to the semis, which was not relatively easy given the fact that their group already had two Asian giants playing on the slow UAE pitches.

The fact that the Kiwis lost two of their warm-up games against Australia and England made it even tougher for them to stake a claim in the group that had India, Pakistan and an Afghanistan side that was capable of beating any team on their day. 

But one sure thing was that the Kiwis know how to stick together and weave a promising unit every time they walk into an ICC event. 

NZ vs PAK: A big jolt even before the start

The fear of faltering against spin was aggravated in the very first match of the Blackcaps’ campaign. They were playing Pakistan in Sharjah, always a tricky place and above that, they lost the toss. Many things were running coming into the game. The Kiwi side had abandoned a Pakistan tour minutes before the beginning of the game, Pakistan had beaten India to break the jinx at the World Cup and the obvious danger of spin in Sharjah. 

However, wading through all the spin and the pace of Haris Rauf, New Zealand managed to post 133 on a Sharjah wicket where chasing was tough. Pakistan struggled and were at one time reduced to 87-5, needing still 48 from the last five overs. However, Asif Ali showed what he was capable of and blasted his way to 27 off just 12 balls, winning the game with an over to spare. 

Not only did New Zealand lose the game but it also lost one of its main bowling weapons in Lockie Ferguson just before the start of that game. At that time it looked like a hindrance to the campaign of the team from the southern hemisphere. But having seen them get through to the final on the back of some great bowling in the powerplay by the two of its most experienced pacers in Tim Southee and Trent Boult, it seems like a blessing in disguise. 

IND vs NZ: The complete game

Having lost to Pakistan, there was only one way that New Zealand were going to get to the next round and it was by winning its remaining games. The situation was the same for India who had been beaten by the Pakistani team in their inaugural match as well. Thus this game was a virtual quarterfinal for both teams, with the winner getting a clear advantage to qualify for the semi-final. 

New Zealand needed to bring their ‘A’ game to the table and thankfully they won the toss. Toss was not only a psychological boost but crucial for getting a head start considering the amount of dew that was falling at the time. However, winning the toss and capitalising on it are two different things. India did the Kiwis a favour by showing panic right at the start of the match by changing their opening pair. 

The rest was done by the Blackcaps bowler. They choked the Indian batting lineup and with the help of Ish Sodhi’s brilliance and some very average batting approach from the Indian batting order. The entire Indian team could only make 112 runs, which was chased with much ease by Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson’s brilliance. 

Facing Scotland and Namibia: Learning utilised later on

While many thought getting past the two associate nations in Scotland and Namibia was going to be an easy affair, for New Zealand, it turned out to be a tough pill to swallow, especially the Scotland game. However, these were the same games that gave the Kiwis a different hero in each game to celebrate. 

In their third match, the Kiwis faced Scotland in Dubai. Batting first, they could get to 172-5 thanks to some brilliant hitting by Martin Guptill who scored 95, which was more than 50% of the total. The rest of the batters failed big time against the tight bowling of the European team. 

But the real challenge came while bowling as the Scots were not at all giving up on the chase. Be it George Munsey, Michael Leask or Matthew Cross, every Scottish batter tried to contribute as much as he could, but the likes of Southee, Boult and Sodhi kept their calm to get through it. 

Against Namibia, Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips came into their true form and thanks to their 76 runs stand in just 36 balls, New Zealand was able to post 163 on the board, which looked very difficult at one stage. In defending the target, there were no issues at all as the Blackcaps restricted the Blue Eagles at only 111-7. 

NZ vs AFG: A real test of Kiwi resilience

Even after winning against India, the New Zealand team wasn’t through and it was going to be yet another test of their persistence and resilience as they faced the Afghanistan side in a must-win game. Millions were watching it in India as well, as the result of this game would have an enormous effect on the fate of Kohli’s men in the World Cup. An Afghan victory would mean that India just needed to beat Namibia to go through. 

The game was a day affair and that too in Abu Dhabi, a track that always offered some help to spinners, especially in the second innings. With the bets stacked against them, New Zealand lost the toss as well, giving Afghanistan a straight advantage in the crucial game. But when the match actually began, things started to change and they changed pretty quickly. 

Apart from Najibullah Zadran, no Afghan batter was allowed to settle in by the Kiwi bowlers and as a result, the Afghans could only set up a target of 125 to be chased in 20 overs. Boult and Southee were once again at the forefront of the Kiwi brilliance with the ball. 

Chasing such a total could be tricky at times, especially if you lose early wickets. Therefore New Zealand made sure it didn’t fall into that trap. Even as Mitchell got out early, first Guptill and then skipper Kane Williamson guided the team home. 

Semi-Final: Neesham, Mitchell led redemption

The semi-final against England had some many contests within the contest that it was more than just another match. This clash has been building up right from the time of the ODI World Cup when England was declared winners on boundary count. It was just not a game but a match that New Zealand would have dreamt about day in and day out. Beating the English at a crucial World event would have been ‘the’ dream for this squad. 

But that dream was going haywire as the Blackcaps were once again succumbing to the pressure. While the start was poor, Devon Conway and Mictheel had managed to keep the required run rate in check, chasing 167 runs. They required 73 from the last seven overs, but once Conway got out and Phillips followed, and things got really tense in the middle with Mitchell not being able to time the ball. 

However, Jimmy Neesham walked in as a man on a mission. He cashed in on a poor bowling performance from Chris Jordan and some miscommunication in the field from Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone where they couldn’t even attempt his catch in the deep. When Neesham walked in, the Blackcaps needed 57 from 24, but as he walked out, only 19 from 12 were required. 

And that’s where it changed. Rest was up to Mitchell and he made sure that the 19 were chased in just one over to get New Zealand the famous win and a place in a T20 World Cup final for the first time. 

With one more hurdle to pass, this might be their road to ultimate redemption as they now face the team that beat them outrightly in the 2015 ODI World Cup final, Australia, in the finals on November 14 in Dubai.