Australia won the first ODI in Sydney comfortably on Sunday night and will be looking to take a 2-0 lead, and reclaim the Chappell-Hadlee with a win over the Kiwis on Tuesday at Manuka Oval in Canberra. The Aussies managed to break their ODI win drought, and Steve Smith avoided becoming the first captain in Australian history to lose six ODIs in a row with a blistering century.
Australia looked in strife early in their innings when Aaron Finch was dismissed first ball and fell to 4-92 after the dismissal of Mitch Marsh via an unlucky runout. However, Smith and 22-year-old Travis Head steadied the ship, putting on 127 runs for the 5th wicket, which saw Smith notch up his 7th ODI hundred.
The New Zealand bowlers were mostly expensive, with no one bowling at under 4.40 economy. Although he failed to take a wicket, spinner Mitchell Santner was probably the pick of the bowlers, allowing just 40 runs off his 9 overs.
New Zealand never looked like chasing down the Aussies massive total of 324 after losing Tom Latham and skipper Kane Williamson in the first eight overs. ODI star Martin Guptill put up a fight worthy of praise, blasting 114 off just 102 balls. However, the support was not there for Guptill with no one else reaching 50 for the Kiwis.
With usual number four, Ross Taylor sidelined due to an eye injury, the form of Williamson will be crucial going into the 2nd ODI in Canberra. Along with Guptill, he is the class batsman in the New Zealand lineup and if at least one of those guys, if not both, doesn’t fire and make a big score it will be hard for the Kiwis to take this one.
Tim Southee could be an inclusion for New Zealand. While left armer Trent Boult bowled reasonably well, his support staff in Lachie Ferguson and Matt Henry were both expensive. Southee could add much needed experience to the side if they were looking to make a change for the Canberra game.
Australia will likely go in unchanged, although 1st game snub Glenn Maxwell will be making his case for selection today after poor performances by middle order rivals George Bailey and Mitch Marsh. Personally, I think playing the dual all-rounder system is the most efficient for Australia at the moment, which would require dropping Mitch Marsh to number 8 and bringing in Maxwell for Adam Zampa.
The Aussies are boasting a much stronger bowling attack than the one that took the field in their five consecutive losses to South Africa in October. While Guptill was still able to get off the chain at times, for the most part, the Aussie bowlers were fairly economical.
With Smith in outstanding form and David Warner looking dangerous, it’s hard to envision Australia making less than 250 on any given day. I think with the bowling attack playing the way they are at the moment, that’s too much for an undermanned Kiwi side. There’s not much value in the Aussies, however, so I’ll be looking elsewhere in this one. Warner was unlucky to chop on to a rank Ferguson delivery last innings. He was looking ominous up until that point so I’m sticking with him again to surpass his alternate run line.
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I think if the Kiwis were to pull one out it could be on the back of a bowling display from Trent Boult that resembles the one he tore Ausrtalia apart with in their World Cup group match with. Boult took 5/27 off his 10 overs in that match and claimed MOTM honours. He’ll have to have a repeat performance if the Kiwis were to win this one.
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