New Zealand have at least one piece of good news heading into the Super Eights. Skipper-spinner Mitchell Santner, laid low by illness in Bengaluru, has recovered in time for Saturday’s meeting with Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium. Team-mate Mark Chapman confirmed the left-armer is expected to slot straight back in. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is a harder call – he lands in Colombo late on Friday after attending the birth of his first child, and his availability is still “wait and see”.
The Black Caps spent the entire group stage in India; now they settle in Sri Lanka for all three Super Eight fixtures. Chapman reckons the switch demands a different sort of batting.
“I think here especially, given the slower nature of the pitch along with the slightly bigger boundaries as well, you have to certainly change your game plan,” he said. “For me personally, batting in the middle I could be in the powerplay or in with very few overs to go. So specifically against the spinners it’s probably [about] looking at different options around whether you employ a sweep shot more or a reverse sweep. Whereas in India, where it doesn’t spin as much, you can look to target the straight boundaries a little bit more.”
He went on: “And obviously there’s big pockets here too, so it’s not all about sixes on this ground. Lots of twos, lots of fours – and running hard between the wickets is really important as well, particularly if it’s not a very high score.”
That theme – adapt quickly, keep things simple – will dominate New Zealand’s preparation. Playing every match at the same ground is unusual at a World Cup, yet Chapman sees an upside.
“When you play in these tournaments, one of the challenges is hopping from venue to venue and adapting,” Chapman said. “Playing all three games here, we’ll learn each game as we go.”
Pakistan’s spin attack, led by the still-mysterious Usman Tariq, shapes as the main hurdle. Chapman admitted Tariq’s stop-start action remains tricky.
“He has a pretty unique action with the way that he stops at the crease, so that’s something to factor in,” Chapman said.
The sides certainly know each other well: Saturday will be their 16th T20I since January 2024, New Zealand holding a 10-4 advantage in that period. Familiarity, though, seldom breeds contempt in this rivalry – more often it produces see-saw games settled in the final overs.
“Pakistan is one of the teams we’ve played probably the most frequently over the last few years,” Chapman said. “We’re well aware of what they’re going to bring.”
New Zealand do have questions with the ball. All three group opponents – including Associates Canada and UAE – managed 170-plus, while South Africa chased 176 with 17 deliveries unused. Chapman, however, points to placid surfaces in Chennai and Ahmedabad rather than systemic problems.
“The margins have been pretty small [in India],” he said. “Here, it’s slightly different with the slower nature of the pitches. The bowlers will hopefully get a chance to really show off their skills.”
How those skills translate may decide whether the Black Caps progress. Santner’s return firms up the spin department, but the pace unit looks thin if Ferguson cannot back up Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Matt Henry is on standby; seamer Ben Sears travelled as reserve.
Saturday’s match starts at 15:00 local time. Rain is possible – this is Colombo in February, after all – yet the forecast suggests any showers should be brief. A low-scoring scrap on a two-paced Premadasa pitch? Chapman almost sounded ready for it.
