T20 WC: New Zealand’s approach towards Bumrah depends on situation in the final, says Doull
New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) New Zealand’s handling of India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the Men’s T20 World Cup final, especially by their openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, will be dictated by the situation of the game rather than any fixed blueprint, said former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull.
Allen and Seifert will be under the spotlight in the title clash to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday after breaking the record for most runs by a partnership in a single edition of the tournament via adding 117 runs against South Africa in the semi-final. Their tally as a pair stands at 463 runs at a strike-rate of 183, including two century stands.
How the explosive opening duo fare against India’s pacers attack, spearheaded by Bumrah, followed by Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya could prove to be decisive in deciding the winner of the tournament.
“Approaching Bumrah in the powerplay is vastly different depending on the game situation. If New Zealand get on top in the first two-three overs, Bumrah might bowl the fourth. If they’re really on top in two overs, he might bowl the third. Generally, if India are going well, they have him bowl the fifth or the sixth over to round the powerplay out or to quieten the opposition down a little bit.
“So he’s not the sort of guy that gives you bad deliveries. If you go chasing him, you can find yourself walking back to the dugout. So I think from New Zealand’s point of view, if you look at the tournament in general, if Bumrah went for 25 to 30 in his four overs and didn’t take a wicket, I think that would be a win for New Zealand,” said Doull in an exclusive conversation with IANS on the eve of the final.
Bumrah’s influence has already been telling in this tournament. In the high-scoring semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where nearly 500 runs were scored, he conceded just over eight an over while picking 1-33. Bumrah gave away only 14 runs in his last two overs, which swung the match in India’s favour.
Overall, he has 10 wickets in seven innings at an economy of 6.6, making him one of the most economical bowlers who have bowled 20-plus overs in the competition alongside New Zealand. Mitchell Santner. At his home ground, Bumrah will again be expected to be the bowler who can tilt the balance in India’s favour.
“If they take him for more than that, so be it. But so often, Surya looks to Jasprit to come on and take a wicket, break a partnership, come back through the middle, break a partnership, and then bowl his two brilliant overs at the death, just nailing those yorkers.
“So, it’s always crucial for any side, I think, with Bumrah in the attack. It’s just a matter of what the situation of the game is as to how they approach his over in the powerplay, presuming he gets one,” added Doull, who played 32 Tests and 42 ODIs for New Zealand.
Allen arrives in the high-stakes title clash after smashing a whirlwind 33-ball century in the semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata, the fastest hundred hit in the competition’s history. Doull added that he expects Allen to target Pandya while being more cautious against the left-arm angle of Arshdeep.
“Whether he’ll look for a spin early on against the two openers is going to be key, and then obviously Bumrah whenever he comes into play, which is usually one over in the power play, I think Finn Allen can probably look to target Hardik a little more than maybe Arshdeep. The left arm seam bowling has caused him the odd headache at times, but the form he showed in that semi-final, he will go into the final massively confident,” he said.
Allen’s penchant for mostly hitting straight has turned him into one of the most destructive openers in T20 cricket. He first caught everyone’s attention in the 2022 World Cup when he blasted 42 off 16 balls off Mitchell Starc. Now seen in squads of franchise T20 leagues like the IPL, T20 Blast, Big Bash League and the MLC, Allen has matured by sharing dressing rooms with some of the sport’s biggest names.
He arrived at this year’s T20 World Cup in blistering form and, despite a quiet tournament apart from a knock against UAE, Allen rediscovered his best self in the semi-final takedown of South Africa.
Allen has scored 289 runs in seven innings of this tournament at an average of 57.8 and a strike-rate of 204. He has been particularly dominant in chasing by amassing 206 runs at an average of 103 and a strike-rate of 222. He leads the tournament’s six-hitting charts with 20 maximums.
“One thing that’s really impressed me about Finn Allen in the last probably eight-nine and ten months is he’s learned how to structure an innings. I think when he first came onto the scene he was a little bit gung-ho and didn’t really know how to build an innings. Now it might sound silly after a 33-ball 100, but if it’s not there in his wheelhouse, then he doesn’t look for something that’s not there.
“He hits the ball so well down the ground, whether it be full or on the up, and I think his understanding of the game now at the international level is a lot better than it was when he first came onto the scene, and that just takes time. So it’s no easy task taking on probably Arshdeep and Hardik up front,” added Doull.
He also noted India would be equally aware of the threat Allen and Seifert pose, especially after the former and Daryll Mitchell went after Bumrah to give the pacer his most expensive T20I figures of 0/58 in Thiruvananthapuram in January.
“Well, there’s no doubting that the opening combination of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert has been brilliant throughout the tournament and we saw what happened in that South Africa game – that if they get New Zealand off to a flying start, then it just makes it slightly easier on that middle order if they’re required,” he said.
“Finn Allen is probably a little more powerful, but Seifert goes square of the wicket just as well. They complement each other really nicely and they seem to have a great understanding. So there’s no doubting it will be a big part of whether New Zealand bat first or bat second – just to ease any pressure that might be in the dugout, whether you’re setting or chasing a target.
“So, those two will also probably have India in their crosshairs as well. They’ll know that if they can break that opening stand and put New Zealand under some pressure, then they can go a long way to doing well in the game,” he elaborated.
Should the top order falter, Doull stated middle-order batters Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman – both of whom have had limited time in the middle – would need to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage. While Mitchell has amassed only 63 runs, Chapman’s run-tally stands at 91 runs.
“They haven’t had a huge amount of opportunities as far as deliveries are concerned through the tournament. Daryl Mitchell was brilliant in that India series pre the T20 World Cup. Whether it be in the ODI or T20 format, he finished a couple of games off in that series really nicely. So there’s no doubting his ability.”
“For Chapman, it’s probably time. It’s time he stepped up and showed something on the world stage. He’s more than capable. He’s got incredible skills, particularly against spin. So he could have a big role to play against the likes of Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel in particular. So, it is important for both those guys to make sure they put something on the board if they do get an opportunity,” he concluded.
–IANS
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