ICC World Cup 2019 | It was a good start against India but we can't get too excited, says Shane Jurgensen
New Zealand's bowling coach Shane Jurgensen has stated that the win against India came in the bowler-friendly conditions and the match against West Indies would be the true test for their bowlers. He went on to say that they'll need to be at their best in every aspect to go far in the tournament.
Having pulled off an impressive six-wicket victory against India on Saturday, New Zealand play their final warm-up game against West Indies on Tuesday. Trent Boult cleaned up India's top 3 early on in the innings and then the bowling lineup did well to contain the team to a mere 179 before the batsmen went out and made easy work for the low target.
However, The Oval offered plenty to the bowlers, as the ball was zipping through while moving all over the place in the air which completely outdid the opposition batsmen. The wickets won't come nearly as easy on other grounds, with most of the pitches flat and batsmen friendly, including the one in Bristol where the Kiwis will face off against the West Indies.
"They'll put us under pressure and I think that will be key for us, especially for the bowlers. One key area for all teams in this tournament is how you bowl at the death and limiting those boundaries in the last 10 overs," Jurgen said, referring to the Caribbean's explosive batting lineup having the likes of Gayle and Russell.
In Trent Boult, they probably have the best white ball opening bowler in the world, as was evident in India's annihilation. He is currently the second-ranked bowler in the ICC ODI rankings, only behind Jasprit Bumrah. Hence, taking wickets early on will be a key determinant of the Black Caps' success.
"Taking wickets at the top will be a key component but at the back end of the innings you want to not leak too many boundaries and keep scores to a modest total," Jurgensen said.
Even though the win against India must have been a confidence boost, it was only a warm-up game and New Zealand have a long tournament ahead of them lest they want to replicate last edition's success, where they reached the final.
"It was a good start against India but we can't get too excited. We need to keep trucking on and working our way through the tournament. It's a long campaign. Every time we play we need to make sure that we execute in all departments," he was quoted as saying.
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