T20 World Cup 2021: 3 weaknesses that could hurt New Zealand in the semi-final against England

New Zealand will take on England in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (November 10).

There was plenty of excitement around the Kiwis’ last Super 12 encounter against Afghanistan as a defeat for Kane Williamson’s men would have kept India alive in the tournament. However, a composed New Zealand, unaffected by all the chatter from the outside, registered a facile win to book their place in the knockouts.

New Zealand got off to a nervous start in the competition, going down to a supremely confident Pakistan by five wickets. However, like they have so often done in past ICC events, the Kiwis lifted themselves commendably.

They fought back with an eight-wicket thumping of India and followed it up with victories over Scotland and Namibia before getting the better of Afghanistan.

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3 areas New Zealand need to be wary of

As New Zealand prepare to face England in the first semi-final on Wednesday, we analyze three weak areas that could hurt them in the knockout clash.

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#1 Inconsistent openers

Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell. Pic: Getty Images

New Zealand have mostly punched above their weight in the World Cup. However, against a power-packed side like England, they cannot afford too many weak links. One of the main causes of concern for the Kiwis comes right at the start of their batting.

Aggressive openers Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell have both looked in good touch. However, they have not been consistent enough to inspire confidence. The experienced Guptill scored a blazing 93 against Scotland but failed to reach 30 in New Zealand’s other four Super 12 encounters.

If we look at Mitchell’s performance, he top-scored with 49 in the win over India. But since then, his scores have been 13, 19 and 17. What makes the numbers even more worrying is that these knocks came against Scotland, Namibia and Afghanistan.

It will be too big a risk for New Zealand to alter their opening combination at this stage of the tournament. At the same time, Guptill and Mitchell will have to lift their game on the big day. Another poor start could end up costing New Zealand a place in the T20 World Cup 2021 final.

Check out the T20 World Cup time table here.

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#2 Adam Milne's tendency to leak runs

New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne. Pic: Getty Images

The loss of fast bowler Lockie Ferguson due to injury is proving to be expensive for New Zealand in the literal sense of the word. His replacement, Adam Milne, may match Ferguson in terms of pace but, with all due respect, his skills are nowhere close to the lanky pacer at present.

To his credit, Milne has done a more than decent job for New Zealand in Ferguson’s absence. After registering figures of 1/30 against India, Milne was punished for five consecutive fours by Matthew Cross in the contest against Scotland. While the 29-year-old recovered to finish with reasonable figures of 0/36, it would have been a harrowing experience to be taken apart in the manner that he was.

Milne has shown a tendency to be expensive and concede boundaries, which eases the pressure on the batters. This perceptible weakness of his was evident during his stint with Mumbai Indians (MI) as well, when he was in and out of the playing XI.

Owing to his inconsistency, Milne's extra pace is like a double-edged sword for the Kiwis at the moment, depending on how he turns up for the game.

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#3 The fifth bowling option

James Neesham celebrates a wicket against Namibia. Pic: Getty Images

Despite their excellent record in ICC events over the years, it cannot be denied that New Zealand are not the most talented bunch going around. They have come up with exceptional performances in spite of their shortcomings and not because of abundantly gifted players.

As England analyze New Zealand’s strengths and weaknesses, they will conclude that the fifth bowling option of their semi-final opponents is something they can definitely target. Of course, knowing England’s bold approach, their batters would look to take on Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi as well. But, as South Africa proved, England are not invincible, especially when their batting is put under pressure.

A more methodical approach will be for England to go after the comparatively weak links in New Zealand’s bowling. Pacer James Neesham and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner are decent bowlers but they come with their limitations and can be tonked around if they have a bad day.

England have a number of explosive players in their batting line-up, who can take advantage of Kiwis’ fifth bowler.

Jos Buttler, if he is still around in the middle stages of the innings, could prove to be deadly dangerous. If not, they have Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali, who love charging down the track to medium-pacers and spinners. Jonny Bairstow is not so good against spin but if the pitch does not assist turn, he too can prove to be a handful.