ROSSBLITZ!!!!

When a team scores ninety five runs in a span of five overs it does say something really special about their play. New Zealand have been a part of the most magnificent hitting that you will ever see on a cricket pitch. The run rates and the bar graphs of the New Zealand innings would have reached some dizzying heights and matched the sky scrapers of New York. Today’s match just highlighted how brilliant New Zealand is and how erratic Pakistan can be.

Firstly, it was great to see the newly built Pallekele International Stadium. The stadium is in the midst of some great greenery which just adds a lot of scenic beauty to the proceedings. The grass embankments on the sides must be a real pleasure for spectators as they can sit there with comfort and enjoy the game they love the most. Hambantota and Pallekele have provided the sub-continent grounds which one saw only in the other cricket playing regions.

The track at Pallekele looked really green and it seemed as if there would be a lot of bounce and carry through to the wicket keeper. However, there were occasions when the ball stayed a bit low especially when Brendon McCullum got out. But, overall I think the track behaved very well and was a very good one day wicket. It had a bit in it for the bowlers but if the batsmen got in there were runs aplenty for them.

The start was very mixed as Pakistan conceded a few extra runs and New Zealand lost wickets. It was a good ploy opening the bowling with Abdul Rehman the spinner but whatever good work he did was undone by Shoaib Akhtar at the other end. From the very first over he was overstepping which gave the batsmen the opportunity to free their arms and exploit the free hits. He bowled a few good deliveries here and there but all that effort was to no avail as he was conceding the extra runs as well. The worst of the lot was his throw to the keeper. He picked up the ball in his follow through and hurled it at Kamran Akmal who wasn’t in a position to collect it resulting in four overthrows. At the international level should avoid conceding such freebies. You need to tighten these areas as at the end of the day these runs can be the difference between the two sides.

The most frustrating part for Pakistan was the wicket-keeping of Kamran Akmal. He dropped Ross Taylor’s catch when the Kiwi was on naught. In the same over he dropped a regulation catch. When such things happen it just changes the complexion of the game and gives a struggling batsman the confidence that it is his day. What’s more is that it was Ross Taylor’s 27th birthday and he was showered these gifts by Akmal. Taylor was really struggling outside the off stump and when these catches were dropped they would have helped increase his confidence. The catches that were dropped proved very costly as Taylor played a great innings and scored 62 runs of his last 16 balls. A total of around 240 inflated to 302.

I have always maintained that the Kiwi’s are a very dangerous side and today they really proved it. Who knows they may be peaking at the right time. I have mentioned in my article on Cricketcountry that they need somebody to anchor the innings early on and that job was well done by Guptill. Even when he fell Styris made sure that there was no further damage so that the Taylor blitz could happen. On the other hand the Pakistan team should not worry and consider it an off day. They are a very unpredictable side and if such a thing happens to them sometimes it is better that it happen in the group stages.

Tomorrow is the game between India versus Netherlands at Kotla Will be there to watch it. Hope to come on TV so that you all can see. Till them cheers.