T20 World Cup 2022: 3 mistakes New Zealand made in the 1st semi-final against Pakistan
In a disappointing end to what was shaping up to be another impressive campaign, New Zealand lost to Pakistan by seven wickets in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Wednesday, November 9.
The Kiwis started the tournament as dark horses, topping their group with three wins. Usually regarded for their fundamentals and approach to the game, New Zealand were going about their business as usual in the Super 12 stage.
However, they got a reality check at an unfortunate time, costing them victory in a knockout contest that drew the curtains on their campaign. They were in the contest at the halfway stage but in the heat of the battle, the Kiwis might have got a few calls that didn't work in their favor.
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On that note, we take a look at three mistakes New Zealand made against Pakistan in the first semi-final.
#1 Poor fielding
Huge moment in the Semi-Final, Conway drops Babar.
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New Zealand were the best fielding side in the tournament until the Super 12 stage, with an 88 percent success rate, holding onto 19 and dropping three catches. For a side like the Kiwis who take a lot of pride in their fielding, it is one of the crucial aspects of their game and an area of the game they can usually rely upon.
However, things went south rather quickly for them today. Babar Azam was dropped by Devon Conway off the first ball he faced. Had the keeper held onto that, things could have been different for last year's runners-up.
In total, they dropped three catches and missed a couple of run-outs in the field in the semi-finals. They were punished for these missed chances as Babar and Mohammad Rizwan stitched together a match-winning 100-plus partnership.
#2 Pakistan capitalized on New Zealand faltering in the powerplay
On a surface that was expected to be on the slower side, Kane Williamson was delighted to bat first after winning the toss. However, his side failed to back that decision with an underwhelming display with the bat.
Finn Allen was the wrecker-in-chief for the Kiwis in the powerplay this tournament, but he was sent packing by Shaheen Afridi in the first over of the game. With him gone early, the Blackcaps failed to get off to a flying start. Conway and Williamson displayed a fair bit of intent but couldn't break the shackles.
To make matters worse, Conway was run out by Shadab Khan in the final ball of the powerplay. As a result, New Zealand only managed to score 38/2 in the first six overs. In comparison, Pakistan were 55/0 at the end of six overs, putting them in the driver's seat for the rest of the contest.
#3 Question marks over a usually reliable bowling unit?
For a bowling unit of their quality, New Zealand were disappointing to a certain extent. Take nothing away from the Babar-Rizwan pair. They were a class apart today, but the Kiwis could have played their cards differently, despite the benefit of hindsight.
Statistically, the Pakistan opening pair have been slow scorers against spinners. Rizwan has scored 106 runs at a strike rate of 110 against the spinners in the T20 World Cups, while Babar strikes at 108 against the spinners. New Zealand had the option of turning to Mitchell Santner in the powerplay.
Instead, they went for the extra pace of Lockie Ferguson in the first six overs. The pacer bowled six overs in the powerplay in the tournament, going wicketless. On a surface that was on the slower side, feeding two batters who relished pace on the ball might have been an option that proved to be costly.