ICC World Cup 2023, IND vs NZ | New Zealand: The Men in Black you hate to hate

14 November,2023 04:08 PM IST |  Mumbai  |  PTI

So while India will look to wipe away the pain of Manchester 2019 where they were eliminated from the semis by the New Zealanders, Rohit Sharma`s boys are unlikely to do it with a sense of revenge. It`s more of a purpose of reaching the final rather than retribution

New Zealand cricket team (Pic: File Pic)


With Pakistan, it's war. With Australia it's a game of one- upmanship. With former Colonial rulers England, it's payback time. But one team that Indians find hard to hold a grudge against, of any kind, are the Blackcaps, the perennial "good guys" of the game.

"Even if you want to think of revenge, these guys are so nice you cannot get into that zone," Virat Kohli had famously said before a T20 game in a bilateral series in New Zealand in 2020. "They are probably one side that has set the example for teams to play international cricket."

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023 | IND vs NZ: Players to score most runs

Whenever captain Kane Williamson hits a regal cover drive boundary, there's hardly a stare-back at the bowler, the staple of most high-octane battles on the pitch; one would be hard pressed to find a single footage of sledging by fast bowler Lockie Ferguson after he has delivered a mean bouncer; Mitchell Santner after taking a breathtaking catch will only have a wide grin, whereas many others would gloat with vulgar glee.

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023 | IND vs NZ: Players with most wickets

It's as if the team is moulded in gentlemanliness, where the likes of Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, Courtney Walsh, Kumar Sangakara, Inzamam ul Haq and Eoin Morgan will find ready places.

So while India will look to wipe away the pain of Manchester 2019 where they were eliminated from the semis by the New Zealanders, Rohit Sharma's boys are unlikely to do it with a sense of revenge. It's more of a purpose of reaching the final rather than retribution.

That was not the only time the Kiwis had broken India's heart. Virat Kohli's men had lost another big final to New Zealand the 2021 World Test Championship Final.

Heartache was certainly there but despite a clash against the same vanquishers is approaching, no one is uttering the grudge word.

"They obviously want to bring out the best they can in every ball and every game, they are intense in their body language, they are not nasty, they are not doing things which are not acceptable on the field," Kohli had said.

History has shown that it's perhaps best for a team to play with their heads than hearts when competing with the Kiwis.
Any show of aggression towards the New Zealanders only results in an own-goal, like former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin discovered during their World Cup final in 2015 when heavy criticism came his way for his over-aggressive show.
It was just 11 overs into the match when he gave Martin Guptill a vicious send-off from behind the stumps. Haddin had mocked Guptill by clapping his gloves in the Kiwi's face after he was bowled by Glenn Maxwell.

Grant Elliott and Daniel Vettori were sent back with not-so-pleasant words.
The Australian media had termed it a blot on the glowing image of Australia's World Cup triumph that it felt no amount of rubbing ever will remove.

At the same time, the success of unassuming Kiwi cricketers, who just go about their business calmly, never causes resentment.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
ICC World Cup 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 ODI World Cup 2023 cricket news india new zealand sports news
Related Stories