DHARAMSALA, Mar 17:
High-flying New Zealand will have their tails up and eye another upset when they resume the trans-Tasman rivalry with a strong Australian side in the ICC World Twenty20 here tomorrow.
Both sides are seeking a maiden triumph in this global event. New Zealand are on a high having shocked tournament favourites and hosts India in their campaign opener.
Their batsmen may have found the going difficult in the first match but the bowlers brought them right into the game. The spin-trio of Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum shared nine wickets among them to comfortably defend a low total of 126.
The Kiwis made a statement of sorts with their 47-run win over the famed Indian outfit. And if the pitch at HPCA offers turn, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who made a bold decision by dropping pace duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult against India, will continue with same spin trio.
The turn that the New Zealand spinners extracted from the Wankhede surface during the warm-ups surprised the Australians, according to veteran all-rounder Shane Watson, who had called it “incredible”. (PTI)
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