We're trying to disrupt India's top order to put pressure on their middle order: Trent Boult

Team India registered a comfortable eight-wicket win in the first ODI of the five-match ODI series. New Zealand desperately needed early wickets to defend a modest target but the Indian top-order was up to the task. Shikhar Dhawan scored an unbeaten 75 and they had no trouble whatsoever in the chase. The Indian top-order has been scoring the bulk of the runs for a couple of years now, and New Zealand pacer Trent Boult recognizes the importance of getting early wickets.

Boult who is his team’s first line of attack with the new ball suggested that the hosts must focus on getting the early wickets to put pressure on India’s middle-order. While the top three have scored big runs, the Men in Blue are yet to finalize the reliable names who can bail them out of trouble and give substance to the innings.

“As a bowling unit, we’re trying to disrupt their top order to put pressure on their middle order, it’s probably their secret as well. If we can get three wickets in the first 10 overs, we know what pressure that puts on the rest of the team in the shed,” Boult said while interacting with the reporters on the eve of the 2nd ODI.

The left-arm fast bowler admitted that they were outplayed in the first ODI and they do realize what went wrong in the series opener. He wants their batsmen to try and set a good platform for those who follow and only then will they be able to post a challenging target.

“We were severely outplayed the other day. I think it’s obvious we know where we went wrong. Batsman are looking to right a few wrongs, come out and set a good platform and obviously put a good target on the board and see what happens from there,” the pacer added.

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Importance of a good start

New Zealand lost early wickets in the first ODI which put them on the back foot right at the start of the game. Both their openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro were dismissed by Mohammed Shami in the first two overs of his spell and the hosts never recovered from this setback. The left-arm fast bowler also stated that New Zealand openers have generally given them good starts in the past which has helped the team in their cause.

“The thing we’ve done well in the past is generally set that platform. (The openers have) given themselves a look at exactly how the wicket’s going to unfold. We know those early wickets in this format kind of kill you. It’s about batting in partnerships and taking the game deep so we can really cash in in those later overs.” Boult further said.

He accepted that it is a huge task to dismiss India’s top-order batsmen once they are set. However, he did argue that even world-class batsmen are humans and the Kiwis must capitalize on those mistakes.

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“Obviously look to get them out, because they’re quality batsmen and when they’re in they’re very hard to get out. They are human and they do make mistakes – we could have got him (Dhawan) out there for 20-odd but we didn’t hang on to it” New Zealand pace spearhead mentioned.

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