New Zealand may need to call up their part-time mattresses as they look back from two heavy hits
Big picture
T20 games will be more important to play both of those sides later in the year, but a decision contest for this series is a great opportunity for them to play their skills in a competitive style. Australia have been playing a must-win for the last two games, turning out good wins, and it feels as if they, although they have built up confidence, are away from New Zealand.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead was somewhat saddened by the incident on Friday saying he believed his team took a step back with the bat. There’s not much room for change with their 13-man squad for this series so it’s likely that the same main order will go again, but Tim Seifert is stressed in a series which has been a disappointment to him.
Spin can be expected to play another big role and deeper options are available in Australia with the trio of Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell doing an admirable job yesterday. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi were impressive as well, but Kane Wiliamson may have to use it himself this time around.
Immediately after the match, the Australian team will fly to Wellington airport and board their chartered flight back to Sydney. Those players from states with open borders to New Zealand (except Auckland) will only have quarantine those from places where rules may stand alone depending on whether they go home.
This is the last international cricket confirmed The Australian men’s team has been on the schedule for a long time (preventing a return unlike England in the final Test against India ) although there could be a mid-year white ball tour in the Caribbean before the final build-up to the T20 World Cup. For New Zealand, their home season ends later this month with an ODI and T20I series against Bangladesh.
Form instructions
(last five completed games)
New Zealand LLWWL
Australia WWLLW
In mind
The harder the surface, the greater the player Kane Williamson significant growth. Captain’s innings could be how New Zealand have to overcome their batting struggles of the last two games and Williamson’s skill could follow the template set by Aaron Finch in batting through his innings. depending on how early it reaches the crease. He could also play an important role with the ball – he hasn’t bowled in T20I since February 2018 but came close to advancing in the last game and there might be another spinning option more distance responder Kyle Jamieson.
While the spinners are likely to take a percentage, they will Kane RichardsonThe cutters were also very effective in the fourth game as he picked up 3 for 19. He is often an unnamed part of the Australian T20I side but before his home season was broken by selection. out of the Indian league due to the limitations of the bubble biosecure for staying with family he had played 12 games in a row. He can be confident about a place going into the T20 World Cup even when other players return.
Team news
Having confirmed that they will not draft another spinning option into the squad, there is a limit to what New Zealand can do. Jamieson has had a difficult series and could, at a stretch, consider replacing him with Mark Chapman and making up a spin from the part – time but that is a risky option.
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
D’Arcy Short, Ben McDermott, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff and Tanveer Sangha did not see any match time on the tour (Ashton Turner has already gone home for the birth of his baby) but a combination could win the opportunity to seal the series. Short arm shorts could come into the equation as well as his bat while the uncapped Sangha footballer would be an interesting and heroic option.
Australia (probably) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Josh Philippe, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Jhye Richardson, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Riley Meredith
Park and conditions
While the pitch was expected to change, both sides wondered how he played on Friday. It will be of no further use before the decision has now been made that the men’s and women’s games have been changed and so the circumstances appear to be very similar. One concern is that the morning forecast in Wellington is not great with showers.
Stats and trivia
- The 11 overs of bowled spin by Australia in the fourth game was their second in T20I
- Kyle Jamieson has admitted 175 in the series. The 187 record is held by Tim Southee although there is still a limited number of five-game series.
Quotes
“[Australia] changed very well, we were probably a little slow. But we know how to play the surface and it will probably be very similar. Spinning and cutters were very effective. “
Mitchell Santner
“We were under the pump and it feels good now that we’re back in this series.”
Adam Zampa
Andrew McGlashan is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo