New Zealand face Pakistan in the fifth game of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The series is currently level at 2-2, with the visitors looking to pull off a victory in the fifth encounter in order to finish their tour on a high, after drawing the Test and Twenty20 International (T20I) series 1-1. Amit Banerjee takes a look at New Zealand’s likely eleven for the series finale.
Top-Order: The New Zealand openers have a mixed outing in the ongoing series so far. It has however been noticed that the visitors have won the games in which they managed to get a good start from the opening batsmen. Anton Devcich, Dean Brownlie and Martin Guptill have opened for the visitors so far in the series in various combinations, though it is likely that the team management will keep the Guptill and Brownlie combination. Skipper Kane Williamson was clinical in the fourth ODI, in which he brought up his fourth ODI century to guide his side to a total one run shy of the 300-run mark. Ross Taylor will continue to play in the number four slot, though he has had a lean patch with the bat after scoring a century in the first ODI.
Middle-Order: Tom Latham, Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi will continue in their roles of handling the New Zealand middle-order. Ronchi has been the most consistent among the three names mentioned in this category, though the skills of Latham and Anderson cannot be underestimated at any stage of the series. It will also be an opportunity for those two to seal their spot in the side for the upcoming series’ against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home.
Lower-Order/Bowling attack: Veteran Daniel Vettori was the pick among the bowlers in the fourth game, taking three wickets for 53 runs and destroying much of the middle-order in the process. Matt Henry has been the leading wicket-taker of the series so far, and as such will be a crucial selection for the captain. Adam Milne, who began to make a mark for himself internationally during the ongoing tour, had the best economy among the Kiwi bowlers in the fourth game, and as such will be an important figure on an Abu Dhabi track that is normally a treasure chest of runs for batsmen. There might be a bit of thinking over including someone like Nathan McCullum, who is equally useful with the bat and ball, and Mitchell McClenaghan, who failed to repeat the heroics of the second game. Williamson might eventually decide to give McCullum a chance.
New Zealand likely XI: Guptill, Brownlie, Williamson (c), Taylor, Latham, Anderson, Ronchi (wk), McCullum, Vettori, Milne, Henry
(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle @akb287)
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