Luke Ronchi’s decision to quit international cricket after the ICC Champions Trophy in June has prompted New Zealand to search for a new opening pair.
Though Guptill and Tom Latham pair has delivered 964 runs in 23 matches — second only to the 1904 scored by Guptill and Brendon McCullum — New Zealand tried out a different combination with left-hander Colin Munro and Martin Guptill doing the job in the two warm-up games against Board President’s XI at the Brabourne Stadium.
With Latham set to wear the big gloves, New Zealand’s primary objective was to find a new opener.
Facing the host’s experienced hands in Jaydev Unadkat and Dhawal Kulkarni, Guptill and Munro put together 24 and 46 and unless there is a dramatic development, New Zealand is likely to stick with this pair for the first ODI at the Wankhede.
Known for fearless batting, Munro has not batted as an opener or at No. 3 so far. Ross Taylor, seen as a fulcrum in New Zealand’s batting order, and Latham batted fluently on a well rolled out pitch to score centuries.
During the course of his two hour-six minute tenure at the middle, Taylor struck 14 fours and one six before retiring.
Latham struck a six and a four off left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat over mid-wicket to cross the century mark and soon retired.
Latham faced 97 balls and struck seven fours and two sixes.
The home team made early inroads, removing Guptill, Munro and Williamson, with leg spinner Karn Sharma making an impact in his opening spell.
But Taylor and Latham had the answers to deal with both Karn and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem. Unadkat finished with a four wicket haul.
The host was always going to find the target of 344 a little stiff and the fall of Prithvi Shah, bowled neck and crop by left-arm spinner, Mitchell Santner, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer put the visitor in a commanding situation. Gurkeerat Mann helped himself to a half-century. The ninth-wicket pair of Unadkat and Kulkarni added 64 off 46 balls but that wasn’t enough.
The scores: New Zealand 343 for eight in 50 overs (Martin Guptill 32, Ross Taylor 102 (retd. out), Tom Latham 108 (retd.out), Mitchell Santner 29 n.o., Jaydev Unadkat four for 57) bt Board President’s XI 310 in 47.1 overs (Karun Nair 53, Gurkeerat Mann 65, Jaydev Unadkat 44, Santner three for 44).
