Is there a cure for New Zealand’s Super Over disease
Sport may be unfair, sport will break our hearts, sport is ruthless. But while life may or may not give us a second chance at something, sport always will. And the most generous of all sports, cricket, decided to give not only a second but also a third chance to one of fate’s favourite victims.
The biggest heartbreak that cricket - the greatest sport in the world - caused in my life was that godforsaken 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s. While the ground has made significant contributions to every cricket fan’s life in the form of treasured memories, the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ will always remind me of the day my team, my Black Caps, came excruciatingly close to winning their first-ever World Cup but failed. As England lifted the trophy, a majority of fans in the world argued how unfair it was on the Kiwis to be denied a title even after a tied Super Over. For a good 24 hours, I couldn’t process what happened, even though I understood every rule that’s in the sport.
Eventually, the boundary rule of Super Over that had decided New Zealand’s faith on July 14 was declared obsolete exactly three months later. Jimmy Neesham on hearing this news, who had suggested the young generation to take up a career in baking instead of playing any sport, had tweeted -“Bit late ICC”.
While the calmness and composure in Kane Williamson’s face and body language still disturbs me, I’ve always felt that Neesham’s tweets are relatable. But the day I watched New Zealand actually lose another Super Over, against the same team in T20I series decider at home, I realized that my team hasn’t come out of the horror that was the 2019 World Cup final. I realized it was fate’s way of giving the team a chance towards redemption, to help them move on from that fateful night and go ahead with the spirit without scars.
But that backfired when they lost to India, on Wednesday, at Hamilton after Kane Williamson produced his greatest T20I innings, and probably one of the best in the format’s history. Williamson’s 95 off 48 set the tone for their chase of the 180-run target. The skipper orchestrated a spectacular show despite hiccups here and there, but in the end, it was, Hiccups 1 - 0 Kane Williamson. In what was an unexpected eventuality, New Zealand overcame the Jasprit Bumrah threat in the death overs and the ask in the final over was just nine runs. At that point, Williamson was 95 unbeaten off 47 deliveries.
Ross Taylor, the batsman on strike, hit a SIX off the first ball in the final over bowled by Mohammed Shami. Second ball, Ross Taylor got the enough to whip the ball to long-on, a good enough shot for two runs. However, he refused to take the second run in order to help his dear friend Williamson complete his maiden hundred in the shortest format. By doing so, what New Zealand paved way for was a series of unfortunate events.
First, Williamson got dismissed next ball by trying a dab instead of just glancing it across square leg. Second, a clueless Tim Seifert came in next and only managed to run a single off a bye on the second delivery faced. That had the scores levelled. And finally, the senior-most Kiwi in the side had to score a single off the final delivery, but he was bowled by Shami instead.
After losing - quite convincingly- to Australia in 2015 World Cup final at the MCG, New Zealand made it to another final. After letting par score in the Super Over shatter a million dreams, New Zealand had one more tied match. And then another.
Here’s a quick recap to what went down in the glorious Super Over contest. Williamson and Martin Guptill came out to bat and added 17 runs in six deliveries, a decent enough score. Tim Southee, quite naturally, was assigned defending duties and fared well in designated role until two back to back sixes by Rohit Sharma in the last couple of balls sealed the Super Over, the match and, finally, the series (3-0) for India.
“Super Overs aren’t really our friends. To be honest we would have liked to get across the line earlier and not in the Super Over. It’s just a shame that we couldn’t get past the line.” - were a disappointed Kane Williamson’s words after the game. But what if you don’t get past the line once again, captain? Is giving up really the mantra of this new-look team?
But what I’ve seen in the past six years, the kind of revolution in their style of play, speaks a different story. Whoever said “faith can move mountains” was right. New Zealand have adapted to changes miraculously, learned to fight back, have shown ability and shown what they’re capable of. But, dare I say, they haven’t made winning a habit yet.
Long before the Super Over tie, even before the overthrow by Guptill that resulted in the umpire signalling six runs, there was Boult at the boundary line having taken what could’ve been possibly the best catch of the World Cup. But no. Long before Rohit Sharma could smash Tim Southee for two back to back sixes, Ross Taylor had the chance to take the second run. But again, no.
Beyond emotions, beyond fairness, there’s one eternal truth - the reality of life. All the arguments about fairness have faded with time. What remains is the fact that six months following that Lord’s final, England holds the trophy and New Zealand don’t. That’s one truth that New Zealand has to live with. What they don’t have to be stuck with is those final moments of the final.
But they haven’t moved on and that shows in their style of handling clutch situations. The decider T20I against England and the 3rd T20I against India just highlight the case.
The Black Caps are all about their second chances. But what they do with those is what they have to live with. What, I, as a fan have to accept and move on. All they’ve got in this scenario is to learn from their mistakes. There’s literally no other way. While only New Zealand can beat New Zealand, it’s only them who can help themselves in this Super Over pitfall. Not any Ben Stokes, or a Bairstow-Morgan pair, or even a certain Rohit Sharma. It was always New Zealand being suicidal in clutch situations.
A team that struggled across six World Cup semifinals won their seventh only thanks to a lion-hearted determination. Once New Zealand come around with that change in clutch situations as well, they’ll not just punch above their weight but also be champions someday. If not, Jimmy Neesham would ask the team to just learn how to bake.
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