The New Zealand Black Caps' recent performance against England at the Basin Reserve left cricket fans, frustrated and bewildered. Witnessing such a defeat in our own backyard was nothing short of a bitter pill to swallow but looking at the series as a whole may be a reflection of deeper issues within the team.
“It makes it worse when it comes at home," said Rahul Patil in the latest episode of DSPN.
We are used to challenges overseas, but getting "decimated...annihilated" at home in just three days is quite the contrary. The Black Caps have had countless moments of brilliance, as seen with our historic win against India, but consistency seems elusive.
Patil continued "You cannot win test cricket like this. Test cricket will show you no mercy if you don't have the technique or the temperament for it." Facing soft dismissals and lacking concentration, our players fail to dig in during crucial moments. Furthermore, the aggressive approach, failing to adapt beyond T20-style play, left our defenses on shaky ground when patience was vital.
The absence of consequences for underperformance seems evident. Challenges like "Why aren't the myriad of New Zealand coaches and experts helping this team able to sort that out" need addressing. Decisions such as keeping key players like Will Young on the bench post his commendable performance in India add to the confusion.
Watch the full podcast above and catch new episodes of Martin Devlin’s DSPN daily on rova.
