McCullum-less Kiwis dreaming of title

“Dream big, New Zealand.” So Brendon McCullum instructed his country in a TV advert played incessantly throughout the entire 2015 World Cup.

It is a year since McCullum led New Zealand to their first ever final in 16 World Cup or World Twenty20 tournaments. Now, New Zealand stand a game away from another.

In January 2013, McCullum’s first Test as captain, his side were bundled out for 45 in under 20 overs by South Africa: an ignominy that added to “the perception of the New Zealand cricket team was that we were over-paid, under-delivering, lazy prima donnas,” as he later said.

No one thinks as much now. Of all the successes of New Zealand cricket since – a run of seven Test series undefeated, and the intoxicating run to the World Cup final – none have seemed quite as unlikely as what has unfolded in the past fortnight in India.

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The retirement of McCullum was not New Zealand’s only obstacle when they arrived in India. They had to confront pitches vastly removed from those that are the norm in New Zealand, a lack of experience playing in India and a dearth of pedigree in their spin attack. To top it all, they were placed in the most onerous group, facing the hosts and favourites India; Australia, who defeated them 4-0 over five trans-Tasman Tests this winter and thrashed them at the MCG last year; and Pakistan and Bangladesh, who would find the conditions far more familiar. New Zealand were unlucky with the schedule, too: as one of the few teams to play all their four group games at different venues, they were left with more travel time and less time to familiarise themselves with surfaces at each ground. When New Zealand were installed by some as fifth favourites in the tournament, it could not be described as overly generous.

Yet, just as in the previous World Cup, New Zealand have been the first team to advance to the knockout stages. Really, we should not be surprised, for rising above their limitations to excel on the world stage is just what New Zealand do. Across the 17 editions of the World T20 and World Cup, no side has reached more than New Zealand’s nine semi-finals. (Australia, the only side also on nine, would reach a tenth by defeating India in their Super10 match on Sunday.)

For New Zealand, the 2016 WT20 has been a triumph of planning and pragmatism.

On the surface New Zealand’s batting has not been overly impressive, only topping 145 once in the group stage. Yet they have judged the conditions more cannily than any other side, assessing what has constituted a good score, and recognising that to aim for 180, say, is fool’s gold. Martin Guptill, who top scored against both Australia and Pakistan, has opened the innings with power and panache. If the other batsmen have been relatively underwhelming, they have contributed just enough when most needed: Luke Ronchi’s 11-ball 21 not out against India; Grant Elliott’s 27 on a turgid wicket against Australia; Ross Taylor’s undefeated 36 against Pakistan. And, crucially, skipper Kane Williamson regained his fluency while scoring 42 from 32 balls against Bangladesh, boding well for the knockout stages.

In recent years bowling has been New Zealand’s great strength. But the leaders of the attack, Trent Boult and Tim Southee, have in India become expert drink-carriers. Their non-selection reflects the contempt New Zealand’s cricket culture has for notions of hierarchy or status: all egos are subservient to the notion of the team.

In lieu of Boult and Southee, New Zealand have placed their fate in the hands of spin. Many in New Zealand consider spin to be an endangered species: hence why Daniel Vettori was wheeled out of ODI retirement to play in the 2015 World Cup and why Nathan McCullum, an offspinner who gets scant turn, opened the bowling against India in New Zealand’s opening match.

Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi arrived in India as two unheralded spinners. Yet they have been the tournament’s two outstanding bowlers, sharing 17 wickets at under ten runs apiece. With cunning left-arm spin, resourceful batting and a scholarly schoolboy manner, Santner inspires obvious comparisons with Vettori.

It is the success of Sodhi that has been more surprising. He has turned his leg-spinner prodigiously, interspersed with the odd lethal googly, and, most significantly, bowling with extraordinary control for a 23-year-old practitioner of cricket’s most fickle art.

Santner and Sodhi have both benefited from Williamson’s captaincy: his unremitting calm beneath his shades; his shrewd shuffling of his bowling resources; and his penchant for attacking when the moment has dictated. When Mitchell Marsh came out to bat against Sodhi, with Australia needing 43 from 29 balls, he was greeted by a slip and legslip.

New Zealand’s bowlers have been underpinned by fielding that is comfortably the tournament’s best. Should they ultimately advance at Australia’s expense, both teams will reflect on Adam Milne’s wonderful stop and throw from long-on at Dharamsala, which led to the run out of Usman Khawaja, as critical.

Luck has also been on New Zealand’s side: Kane Williamson has won all four tosses, enabling the team to pursue their favoured strategy of batting first and then strangling the opposition.

Now, Williamson’s New Zealand are two games away from surpassing McCullum’s team to win a world event and, in the process, become the first side to go through the World T20 undefeated. McCullumless they might be, but New Zealand are still well capable of dreaming big.