Lockie Ferguson running in hard and pounding the pitch
harder can spook batters. In his very first World Cup, Ferguson’s rapid pace
and bounce gave New Zealand’s attack the cutting edge. If Dominic Toretto lived
life a quarter-mile at a time, Lockie Ferguson on the pitch lives it 90 miles
an hour.
Ferguson still intimidates batters after four years
with that pace and bounce. It is remarkable that he has accomplished this at
Chepauk, which is typically a haven for spinners. With the one-day limitations
in effect, it was almost like Neil Wagner was in operation. Ferguson launched a
no-holds-barred short-ball assault on Bangladesh with a somewhat square gully,
a backward point, a deep third, and frequently two men monitoring the leg-side
boundary.
On Friday, 45 of his 60 deliveries were either too
short or not long enough. Against twenty of those balls, Bangladesh was not in
command.
This was genuinely planned by New Zealand, and it was
flawlessly carried out. The black-soil turner that was set up for the India vs.
Australia game was not used for Friday’s match. This had a truer bounce and was
a crimson and black combination. However, other teams might have felt pressured
to select an additional spinner at Chepauk. Other teams are not like New
Zealand.
Despite having claimed a six-wicket haul against Bangladesh
at Mirpur about six weeks prior, they once again benched legspinner Ish Sodhi.
Ferguson was trusted to get hitters out on an unusual Chepauk pitch. And he did
throw them away. He continued to throw them out.
Trent Boult and Matt Henry didn’t see the ball swing
or seam much in the opening exchanges, so Kane Williamson threw Ferguson the
hard, fresh ball. Tanzid Hasan was quickly put on the backfoot by the fast
bowler’s first delivery to him, a lifter from above the wicket. Ferguson then
changed his strategy to bowl around the wicket, forcing the batter to spoon a
full ball to square leg. He then hurried Mehidy Hasan Miraz into attaching a
hook to long leg shortly after.
No obstacle could derail Ferguson’s or New Zealand’s
well-laid plans. The greatest batters from Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim and
Shakib Al Hasan, attempted to counter Ferguson with ramps and hooks, but
Ferguson continued to hit the middle of the Chepauk deck like he owned it.
Ferguson unleashed a much more devastating bouncer at Shakib’s ribs the ball
after he had flapped a hook for six, forcing him to top-edge it to the keeper
for 40 off 51 balls.
The Chennai audience had come to watch Devon Conway
and Mitchell Santner of their IPL Super Kings; the DJ even referred to Conway
as “Chennai’s very own opener”; instead they left with Ferguson’s
“spell from hell.”
Michael Bracewell and Adam Milne were both injured
heading into the World Cup for New Zealand. In addition, there were concerns
about Captain Williamson’s health. They faced the reigning champions, England,
to open the tournament without Ferguson. With three victories in as many games,
they are currently the tournament’s early leaders. #JustNewZealandthings