Australians consider tinkering with their XI to find a way to control New Zealand batting
Big picture
The logistics have changed dramatically due to the impact of Auckland’s lockout, and there will be no crowd to watch the rest of the games, but the challenge remains as it is for Australia: they need to win three games in a row in Wellington if they are to take the series.
New Zealand, with a full-strength side, are playing dynamic, confident cricket despite getting a sigh of relief at the end of a draw in Dunedin where the game was taken away from Marcus Stoinis and Daniel Sams.
Australia has recognized that this is the post-empowerment, pre-death period with the member where they were particularly struggling with New Zealand. From overs 7-16 they have conceded 11.35 and taken just three wickets, while the home team has gone for 9.02 runs per year and has claimed 10 wicks.
When Martin Guptill in Dunedin returned to another box in New Zealand, most players had now made a donation over the first two games. However, Tim Seifert has started with two low scores and Kyle Jamieson has had a tough time going for 56 in Dunedin.
Both teams had some downtime in the unusually long break between games. The Auckland-based New Zealanders who returned home shortly after had to leave the city abruptly when the lockout was announced and underwent a careful Covid-19 test that all came back negative on Monday.
Form instructions
(last five completed games)
New Zealand WWLWW
Australia LLWLL
In mind
Glenn Maxwell he has not yet advanced in the series with scores of 1 and 3. In the opening game he put down the new swing ball for his slip and in the second he was well caught at the short third when he got sweep back with a high top. Where it comes in is dedicated to the number of wikis lost by Australia and the excellent position is the basis for working but a reasonable number of surpluses remain. Depending on the balance of the Australian attack it is possible that his offspin has been used a little more after putting down one in the series so far.
Trent Boult built in two different levels of texture in the first two games. In Christchurch he found a move with the new ball and claimed early wickets to seal the game, then in Dunedin he did the rest that took the place of breath in New Zealand at death when he went for just six in the 18th against the brutal bats of Stoney and Sams. He has been a standing speed archer on both sides.
Team news
Jamieson’s spot could come under pressure after two expensive trips despite a desire to show faith in him. Hamish Bennett is the other bowling option in the squad. Apparently there was little reason to change the bat.
New Zealand (possibly) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tim Seifert, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult
Australian coach Andrew McDonald blocked a couple of changes although he did so before the second game and became the only XI. There could be a chance that they would strengthen the distance attack, perhaps by Andrew Tye or Jason Behrendorff, at the expense of a spinner, although both Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa got a vote of confidence, or boost the battery. and would rely on more overs from the trades.
Australia (able) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Josh Philippe, 3 Matthew Wade (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Daniel Sams, 8 Ashton Agar / Andrew Tye / Jason Behrendorff / D’Arcy Short, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa
Park and conditions
The Tin Cake, as it is called in a colony, has the lowest running rate (8.03) of a T20I facility in New Zealand. One of the issues is that teams don’t train at the floor, instead of using the Basin Reserve, so there aren’t many changes at goal sides to assess situations even though with three games in a row there is time there for Australia to get used to them. The forecast for an evening is cloudy but dry.
Stats and trivia
Quotes
“The only thing we can control is our bowling. Let’s look at how we use our bowling in that [middle] level of the game. Clearly as a batting unit we try to be aggressive in that time anyway. It’s more about how we defend New Zealand catchers and what games we use in that time to tell where we can get the most out of our performance. “
Anndra McDonald
Andrew McGlashan is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo