During the ongoing series in the UAE, New Zealand have repeatedly bounced back from defeat against Pakistan. It is easily the best example in recent years of a team adapting to unfamiliar conditions and rectifying their mistakes to win matches.
Pakistan were riding high after defeating Australia, and for New Zealand to temper down their winning spirit and come back to win was indeed a special feat. New Zealand lost the first Twenty20 too because it was a fresh team unable to cope with the conditions; but in the next T20 match they defeated Pakistan by learning from their mistakes. The same trend is being followed in the One-day series as well where they lost in Dubai and then subsequently won in Sharjah.
In modern cricket, teams must adapt to conditions and learn from mistakes quickly. No longer can a team afford to say that it is tough to beat their opponent due to poor familiarity with the playing conditions. One needs to play to a plan after fully assessing the opponent.
India lost to Australia in the first Test not due to their non-familiarity but due to some of their batsmen’s inability to play to a plan. It should be noted that they collapsed to a spinner though they have a reputation of being the best players of spin. So for the second Test, they would be wiser taking a leaf out of New Zealand’s performance in UAE if they have to bounce back.
Fighting against the toughest of odds to win matches is what makes a team special. A vociferous crowd of nearly 20,000 cheered for Pakistan during the second One-day match at Sharjah, but New Zealand did not waver from their goal.
The burning desire to win, coupled with the ability to play to a plan, is what will decide the eventual winner in the upcoming World Cup. Australia is not the easiest of places to tour if a team does not have a plan in place for their game. Even a team with the finest batting or bowling line-up is sure to make an early exit if they are not able to display the verve to play under pressure.
Cricket is no longer just played on the field; a big part of it happens off the field too because scheming a victory starts from the dressing room. A team that fails to take a fresh guard after a defeat will keep slipping to further defeats. Complaints that their best bowlers are banned from bowling by the ICC or that injuries have hit their main players have no place in today’s fiercely competitive world.
Cricket is for bravehearts, not weak souls.
