New Zealand’s fast bowlers had a plan to make the most of the pace offered by the MA Chidambaram Stadium’s wicket, employing it to great effect in an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh on Friday, veteran quick Trent Boult said.
Lockie Ferguson (3-49), Boult (2-45) and Matt Henry (2-58) ripped through Bangladesh’s batting line-up on Friday and limited them to 245 runs.
The conditions were markedly different from India’s six-wicket victory over Australia at the same venue last week, during which spin proved more dangerous.
“It’s hot, I thought the wicket was very hard and offered a little bit of pace, which is probably not the description you normally take coming here to Chennai,” Boult told reporters on Friday.
“The boys had plans in place: be as accurate as we can, try to bowl good balls and manage to take wickets throughout the innings and generally it’s a pretty good recipe.
“Lockie plays a huge role for us, a guy that can bowl 150 kph and has great skills. It’s nice to see him get some reward today. He’s very clever with his plans and he likes to attack in the role that he’s in.”
Boult also praised captain Kane Williamson, who scored 78 on his return from a knee injury he suffered in March that required surgery. “He’s very comfortable out there in the middle, and it was a quality knock after six or so months off.”
New Zealand were seen over the finish line in their chase by Daryl Mitchell, who began his knock of 89 not out by hammering a six on his first ball.
Asked about his aggressive start, Mitchell told reporters: “It was obviously a plan to try and do that, it was just me doing what was best for me and trying to help us win games of cricket.”
New Zealand, who have won all three matches to sit top of the table, next face Afghanistan in Chennai on Wednesday.
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