New Zealand batter Will Young believes squaring the series against a ‘really strong’ Indian side in Sunday’s fifth ODI at Bay Oval would be deeply satisfying for the hosts, though he added that they will still treat it as any other game
MOUNT MAUNGANUI — New Zealand batter Will Young believes squaring the series against a ‘really strong’ Indian side in Sunday’s fifth ODI at Bay Oval would be deeply satisfying for the hosts, though he added that they will still treat it as any other game.
New Zealand go into the series decider on the back of a thumping 244-run victory over India. After making 333 in their 50 overs, thanks to Young’s 125 and Tim Seifert’s 58, Matt Henry taking out Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and skipper Shreyas Iyer in the first over made the result a foregone conclusion, as India were eventually bowled out for 89.
“I think it’s certainly a little bit of extra motivation, but at the same time it’s another game of cricket. There’s been a lot of cricket so far this summer and there’s a lot more to come. So we’ve got to show up tomorrow with the same mindset that we would (for) any other game.
“Obviously our team will be slightly different with a few of our key players heading away to get ready for the Test series. So there’ll be a couple of adjustments to make there. But you’re right, it’s certainly a great carrot to have dangling in front of you to level the series and do that against a really strong Indian side will be really rewarding,” Young told reporters on the eve of the series finale on Saturday.
New Zealand will enter the final game without a majority of their first-choice players, who left the series early to prepare for the Test series starting on November 19. “I think one thing this team does talk about is being where your feet are. We’ve got an opportunity tomorrow to play another game of one-day cricket.
“As I said before, it’s a slightly different balanced squad so there’ll be some guys slotting in and that’s a great opportunity for them to show what they can do. With the record about ODI matches at home, I think we’ll just try to put that out of our mind to be honest. Tomorrow’s another opportunity to do what this team’s all about, being where your feet are, adapting to what’s in front of you and giving it your all.
“Once that’s over, we’ll turn our minds to red-ball cricket and that’ll be another fantastic series. Both teams are well within the hunt within the World Test Championship so there’s plenty on the line for both sides which will make for some really interesting cricket,” added Young.
Friday’s result, though, has given New Zealand plenty of belief going into the decider after suffering defeats in Auckland and Wellington. “It certainly was. I think we got told after the game that it was one of our more comprehensive victories from our side and one of the more comprehensive defeats for the Indian side and you don’t ever go out chasing those sorts of things. It’s just something that’s nice to reflect on afterwards.
“But I think our whole style of cricket in the one-day format is built around adapting to what’s in front of you and Seifert and I managed to do that at the start of our innings. Obviously we had a bit of luck go our way as well, but we built a nice platform. We identified the wicket was slightly better than the first two ODIs in Auckland and Wellington and we posted what we thought was a competitive total.
“At times we were probably trending for slightly more than what we got, but in the end 330 (333) was what we thought was a good score and then our bowlers went out and just absolutely nailed it, especially in that first 10 and set up the rest of the innings from there,” added Young.
Young’s innings, his fifth ODI ton and first against India, was far from smooth at the start. He survived consecutive dropped chances off Auqib Nabi in the second over, with Rohit and Ishan Kishan giving him reprieves. The right-hander explained how he kept his composure after the second drop.
“I think so, yeah. Obviously a little bit of context around that. The first time I was quite frustrated at myself because it was a similar way that I got out in the second ODI. But then after the second one happened, the very next ball, I just have to laugh it off and yeah, I did. That’s exactly what I did. I laughed it off and just tried to concentrate on the next ball as if it was any other ball.”
He was generous in his praise of Seifert, whose fluent knock at the other end let Young settle into his innings. “Certainly. I think you’ve got to remember that cricket is a team sport and thankfully Seifert was seeing it like a beach ball at the other end and I could sort of just ride along with the momentum that he’d created and then after a while I managed to find my timing as well and create some meaningful partnerships throughout the so that was great.”
He also quipped that Henry’s discipline, together with the conditions at dusk, made him almost unplayable. “I think it was certainly a better wicket, but I think there was still reward there for bowlers who hit a consistent length and Matt Henry certainly did that. From the very first ball he hit what was the perfect length on that surface. In terms of it being that twilight period, the white-ball sort of behaved a little bit like the pink ball can in the twilight period.
“It gained a little bit of extra pace off the wicket at that time and it meant that when Matt Henry hit that length and got the ball to nip, it did so quite quickly and I think that’s why he ended up with figures of 6-27. It was happening quickly and he had a great length. He came back into the side seamlessly.”