What makes New Zealand such a tough team to beat ?

The finals of the 2019 world cup, WTC and the T20 world cup 2021 have one thing in common, the presence of team New Zealand. The Black caps have made their presence felt in the last half-decade by entering the final in the last 3 ICC events. The team which never qualified in a world cup final till 2015, dominated the ICC events. What is the reason for their domination in world cricket, and what makes New Zealand so special?

Author:- Ashwin Jangam (Cricket Analyst, host, poet, entertainer)

Insta I'd:- cricket_creativity

The answer is simple, their ability to stick to the basics. It is not their brutal bowling or their sensational batting which wins them matches, but it is the discipline with which they play, which leads them to victory. Kiwis follow the basics of the game more than any other cricket playing nation, making them one of the toughest opponents. You'll hardly see any Kiwi bowler targetting line other than the 4th stump. Also, under the leadership of Kane Williamson, the Kiwis have improved tremendously as a batting unit. The Men in Black were never short of power hitters, but the new era under the smiling captain Kane increased their batsmen playing by the book.

Every single batsman playing with the Black jersey is technically sound and can win them matches. Plus unlike other Sena countries, Kiwis play spinners exceptionally well. They never had woes when it came to seamers, whether right-handed or left-handed. But their improved performance against spin allows them to perform better in all the conditions. Their performance in Asia from the past half-decade is proof of the same. The IPL has played a vital role in their increased understanding of Asian pitches. With the addition of Devon Conway, the southpaw who hit a magnificent double hundred on his debut at the Lord's, the Kiwi batting looks even stronger.

Their batting might have been more technically sounded now, but their bowling was always their strength and has continued to remain even to date. The likes of Trent Boult, Lockie Fergusson, Tim Southee continue to dismantle the opposition batting. Whether it is the swing of Trent, Pace of Lockie or a combination of both by Southee, the Kiwi bowling always follows required discipline to put additional pressure on the opposite batters. The elegance and beauty in their bowling is not a new thing, it was visible from decades of them playing the game. Furthermore, the Kiwis have always produced all-rounders who are good pacers and can finish the game with their hard-hitting. This was visible in the semi-final with James Neesham playing his role with the ball and bat both with perfection. This not just allows them extra bowling options, but gives them great batting depth. They bring the right balance to their squad.

But the main reason for their team's success is the calm head of their captain, and one of the best batsmen of this generation, Kane Williamson. The way a smiling assassin has led his team since he took over as captain is just amazing. His ability to rotate the bowlers at the right time and his perfect field placements have proved to be a boon for his team. While leading the side, he has not let his batting go down one bit. , He has played captain innings to help his team to a win on numerous occasions. He is a true gentleman of the game, and his gestures have won the hearts of cricket fans time and again. Everyone was left in admiration of this gentleman when he was seen smiling after the 2019 world cup final defeat.

All these factors make the Kiwis one of the toughest sides beat at the moment. A country having a population of about 5 million, have wok hearts of billions of cricket fans across the globe. With so much on their side, one can hope this side to win the world cup, and become the first team to win 2 ICC trophies in a single year. It happens, it will be a treat for the fans. They have a great chance to avenge their 2015 world cup final defeat today, but while doing so, they should never underestimate the Aussies.