It is the best of times for the West Indies. It is the worst of times for New Zealand. With due apologies to Charles Dickens, both teams face ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ sort of predicament. This game could see New Zealand ending their World Cup campaign and West Indies galloping to the next stage or it could grant the Kiwis a few more moments to breathe. After suffering an ignominious 84-run defeat against Afghanistan, the Kane Williamson-led team was destined to sink into a pit of worries. There is something cursed with high-ranked teams this edition and that curse has its epicenter in the New Zealand dressing room. They are not left with many chances. The contest against West Indies is their only hope to rejuvenate the moribund Super 8 dreams.
West Indies would be very happy with the way they have played so far in this edition of the T20 World Cup. Although their next games are to be played against the likes of New Zealand and Afghanistan, the high spirits would help them put up their best fight. If they manage to beat the Kiwis in Trinidad, all their worries for this stage will come to an end. But that is not an easy task. Even when pinned against the wall, New Zealand are not the side to take lightly. But like all the teams, they have their Achilles’ heels and this time those weaknesses are a little more prominent for the opposition to exploit.
Team Overview:
More than the form and skill of their players, what’s hurting New Zealand is their lack of preparation for the World Cup. Many players hopped on to the World Cup-bound flight from India after playing (or warming benches for) 3 months of the Indian Premier League. The players have not played together as a team for months now and the lack of synchronization during the Afghanistan game was on display for everyone to see. This was also evident in the way the Kiwis dropped catches and gave the Afghan batters more chances to dominate. The riot started as soon as Finn Allen was sent back to the hut in the first over thanks to a Fazalhaq Farooqi inswinger, the team had no batters left who could play an inning that matched the magnificence of a 160-run chase. Funnily, Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 5 runs more than the New Zealand team total.
The victory against Uganda very deservingly gave West Indies a huge surge in NRR. Besides NRR, the game against Uganda allowed Akeal Hossein to unleash his inner beast spinner who is too unorthodox to be understood. Thanks to his 5/11 figure, the Windies were not only able to wrap the game up in 12 overs but also inculcated a fear into the minds of their opposition that facing Akeal on the Caribbean pitches would not be a joke. With more tough opponents in the next few games, it would be a test for the batters to hold their nerves and be mindful of how they dispatch the balls. Against Uganda even, many of the Windies’ batters could have stayed on to play a longer innings, had they not rushed things. While it did not matter much against the African team, sides like New Zealand and Afghanistan would not be as merciful.
Head-to-head Matches:
New Zealand and the West Indies have appeared 19 times in the shortest format against each other. 11 out of these 19 contests were outclassed by the Kiwis whereas the West Indies got over the line in 6 games. Leaving 2 matches without any result.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Although it has been raining frequently in Tarouba of late, the rain is expected to stay away on the game day. The pitch of the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium assists bowlers more than batters which means that it will be a low-scoring affair where bowlers would get to feast. The captain winning the toss should look to bat first because whatever little help the deck will offer to batsmen will subside as the game progresses.
Prediction:
It’s a do-or-die for New Zealand and one can expect them to choose the former option. The Kiwis are unlikely to bow out without a fight and if they really were to give whatever they have in them, this game could easily end in their favour.
Where to Watch:
You can watch the games on the following platforms as per your region:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
