Tom Blundell - An eye-opening case of ignorance by New Zealand
Three years ago, a touring New Zealanders side were playing against the Mumbai cricket team ahead of the Test series against India in 2016. The series was an instrumental one as India would go on to play its 500th Test match in the same series.
As the Kiwi side was outplayed by Mumbai in the drawn match, with Suryakumar Yadav and Siddhesh Lad scoring attacking hundreds, the world got reminded of the fact that the Indian city has almost four times the population of the Tasman island. New Zealand’s lack of resources has always been a case for the team. A case that was pointed out by former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith recently. But the case with Tom Blundell wasn’t a predicament borne due to any scarcity of resources. Instead, it showcases the faulty management by the board.Â
With BJ Watling’s unavailability due to a hip injury ahead of the home Tests against West Indies in 2017, the New Zealand selectors chose to bestow a Test call-up on the wicket-keeper batsman from Wellington. A consistent wicket-keeper and an unfailing batsman in the Plunkett Shield, Blundell announced his arrival to Test cricket, 11 months post since his T20I debut. He lived a glorious moment as a debutant, scoring his maiden Test hundred in front of his home crowd at the Basin Reserve. By doing so, he had also entered an elite group of wicket-keeper batsmen who’ve scored a century on debut.Â
What better way to march into the international arena after getting denied to offer anything on his T20I debut, in which again he served as Luke Ronchi’s replacement. However, the limelight was short-lived, as the then 27-year-old could only go on to play one more Test before Watling came back fit. His existence in the setup only resurfaced once when he top-scored with a century against the West Indies in a World Cup 2019 warm-up game earlier this year.
Blundell’s case has been the biggest example of ignorance by the New Zealand management as until the ongoing Boxing Day Test at Melbourne the 29-year-old was overlooked time and again despite many signs that indicated his inclusion as the need of the hour. But the time and circumstance wherein he was actually chosen to play, was in Australia where the Kiwis were already trailing the series 1-0. The pressure of facing the wrath of the one of the best pace attack in the world, comprising Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins, was massive. Had New Zealand actually groomed Blundell for this challenge, the world could’ve witnessed the batsman in his full abilities.
How ironical is it that Blundell’s Test debut had come around the same time when Jeet Raval’s decline had begun. The left-handed opener from Ahmedabad, who made his Test debut for New Zealand in 2016, had two good years to start with. Raval’s arrival must have felt like a sigh of relief for the team that was struggling with opening woes. New Zealand had tried everything starting from Hamish Rutherford to Martin Guptill, but their failures led to consistent reliability on Raval, who went on to deliver with an average of above 40 in 2016 and 2017.
Raval's fall started with the Test even though his declining form was screaming for a remodelling. In the last two years, Raval’s aggregate has gone down to 20s and his recent single-digit scores at Perth only showcases the poor form that has been persistent. Perhaps, Mitchell Starc was right when he sledged Raval, “You wouldn't want to ruin it. The last chance of your career." As Starc went on to dismiss the batsman for 1 off 21, his prophecy indeed came true with New Zealand replacing the opener with a long-estranged player.Â
But this was, like all of New Zealand’s decision, a call that the team rushed into. Firstly, Blundell has only batted at No.7 before this and he was asked to open in challenging conditions after Australia posted a gigantic total of 467. Secondly, the team had the same mistake of not grooming Henry Nicholls before replacing Colin Munro as opener midway in the World Cup.Â
Coming back to the initial point of how the management messed it up, as Blundell ain’t getting any younger at 29. Now the question is, was Blundell even mentally or physically prepared for this challenge? Frankly, even the veterans in the side seemed to have lacked in that front. So what were New Zealand thinking, a miracle perhaps?
If you were thinking the Kiwis last had a stable opener in Peter Fulton, then no, you were wrong. Fulton, who retired in 2014, had an average of 25.4 in his career. Since then only the first two years of Jeet Raval and a particular Tom Latham have managed to sport the 40s figure. Perhaps, a well-groomed Blundell could’ve been the missing puzzle in the Black Caps' batting mix and an answer to their opening woes. But that’s something the management should’ve planned since 2018. Everyone from Mike Hesson, Kane Williamson to Gary Stead have failed in that front. There’s still hope for magic to happen at some point. But let me remind you, things don’t happen that easy down under.