Like Canada skipper Ashish Bagai rightly pin-pointed in the end, New Zealand won the match an hour into the day. It was a period when Canada's seamers were supposed to build the pressure, take wickets and exert control on a pitch glistening with moisture. Instead it was Brendon McCullum who stamped his authority and built early energy for New Zealand which they never lost for the rest of the game. McCullum's maiden World Cup century is bound to bring cheers to New Zealand, a team in the upgrading phase.
Despite winning four out of the five group games so far, including the last three on a trot, New Zealand continue to remain pretenders. Injuries to key players like Daniel Vettori and today Kyle Mills pulling out due to a leg strain, the inconsistency of the top-order, and the untested middle-order, which has not got enough time due to easy victories against Kenya and Zimbabwe, are questions that nag New Zealand. Still, McCullum believed that the team was on the right path.
"The camp is slowly building some confidence. We are slowly starting to play how we want to play and we move into the next game knowing that we have played well over the last couple of games," he said. New Zealand started their battle by thrashing Kenya in their opening match, but perished against Australia in what was initially ticked as a marquee clash. John Wright was reasonably admonished at the lack of application from the batsmen and gave them an earful in private, while jotting a list of do’s and don'ts.
Despite winning four out of the five group games so far, including the last three on a trot, New Zealand continue to remain pretenders. Injuries to key players like Daniel Vettori and today Kyle Mills pulling out due to a leg strain, the inconsistency of the top-order, and the untested middle-order, which has not got enough time due to easy victories against Kenya and Zimbabwe, are questions that nag New Zealand. Still, McCullum believed that the team was on the right path.
"The camp is slowly building some confidence. We are slowly starting to play how we want to play and we move into the next game knowing that we have played well over the last couple of games," he said. New Zealand started their battle by thrashing Kenya in their opening match, but perished against Australia in what was initially ticked as a marquee clash. John Wright was reasonably admonished at the lack of application from the batsmen and gave them an earful in private, while jotting a list of do’s and don'ts.
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