Martin Guptill: Batting prowess still to reach its full fruition?

Martin Guptill's batting prowess is certainly not in the embryonic stage but it seems it is still to achieve its full fruition.

Martin Guptill, who performed exceedingly well in the recently concluded One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka, is one of those batsmen who can become a bowler’s nightmare when in prime touch or an explosive mood. This swashbuckling right-handed batsman from New Zealand needs no introduction, but for the sake of observing the destructive cricketing aura that surrounds him when he is in full flow, let’s do exactly that. Memories are still etched in everyone’s mind of his gorgeous knock of unbeaten 237 against West Indies in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It was the first double hundred by a New Zealand batsman in one day cricket and also the second highest individual limited-overs score of all time. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODI at Mount Maunganui

Has Guptill done full justice to his potential? The answer is probably ‘no’. His batting prowess is certainly not in the embryonic stage but it seems it is still to achieve its full fruition. He has to bring in the essential ammunitions of temperament and the ability to play for long durations in his arsenal and he can certainly improve his Test record. READ: Martin Guptill, Matt Henry guide New Zealand to 3-1 series win over Sri Lanka in 5th ODI

In this specific series against Sri Lanka, he has emerged as the highest run-scorer with 331 runs at an average of 82.75 and a phenomenal strike rate of 139.66. His 56-ball 79 helped New Zealand win the first game by seven wickets. But it was the second match, which proved ‘again’ why he could be one of the most destructive batsmen New Zealand has ever produced. He smashed an unbeaten 93 off 30 odd balls and came excruciatingly close towards cracking the fastest limited-overs hundred. If Sri Lanka had a few more runs on board, Guptill could had certainly become the second fastest to 100 runs in high probability. Guptill ended the series with a 102-run knock in the fifth and final ODI although he failed to convert the starts he got in the third and the fourth games.

Why we say ‘again’ is simply because Guptill is known for his flamboyant knocks. He is certainly one of the most difficult batsmen to tame down when in superb form. A batter who has a near perfect timing and probably the finest puller of the cricket ball while standing on one foot, Guptill’s statistics certainly could have been quite better in Test cricket . He averages just 30.45 from 38 matches which is much lower than his ODI average of 42.71. When on song, he is New Zealand supporters’ delight and opposition’s worst Catch-22 situation. He is an enigma, since the opposition hallucinates as he can cart even the best of balls over the ropes. But he lacks consistency; this is one handicap he has to conquer.

Now, the question of why he has not been so successful in Test cricket might be obvious to many. To succeed in Tests, simply having an impeccable timing, brawn and the competence to bring out a lot of shots from your armoury at will does not always suffice. A good technique and temperament are the keys to unlock above-average performances in the longest version of the game on a consistent basis. Although Guptill’s technique is good, the flaw comes in his temperament. However, he is astonishingly gifted for sure. There have been batsmen who have triumphed Test cricket even though they did not have a great batting technique. Topping the list (in the last 15 years) would probably be Virender Sehwag with his infamously poor foot movement; but he had an inborn and simply exceptional hand and eye co-ordination. When a cricketer is tremendously gifted in an area, other spheres get compensated to a fair extent and such a special player can still be very successful.

Guptill is extremely talented but maybe not be to the extent of other explosive batsmen like Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist.  But it could also simply be that he just lacks those few essential ingredients. It surely cannot hurt him to use his talent a bit more wisely. Both Sehwag and Gilchrist were considered lacking the usual patience traditionally expected from a Test batsman, but they also seemed to have immense powers of concentration and a knack of picking the right shots along with their superior stroke-playing abilities. READ: AB de Villiers, Martin Guptill, and the fastest to any ODI score

All Guptill needs to do is control his natural aggressive instincts especially in Tests. Talent cannot be injected into a cricketer’s genes but temperament and concentration are surely areas which can certainly be worked upon, both by practice and by consciously curbing one’s proclivity to attack. Guptill is often criticised for throwing away starts when he could have ended up scoring a big one and also help his team simultaneously.

Guptill still has to perfect this critical requirement, particularly for Tests and in some breadth for one-dayers as well. He has to learn the ability to soak pressure in difficult situations, be more observant and patient in situations when the pitch is behaving like an indignant enemy and the opposition bowling needs to be respected. If he succeeds in doing so, he could well make a mark in Tests as well.

(Bhaskar Narayan is a reporter at CricketCountry and Criclife. He passionately follows the game and is a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar. His Twitter handle is @Cricopathy)

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