The Week India – July 21, 2019

JULY 21, 2019 • THE WEEK 47

seen anyone play a shot like that’, and
that he was special.”
Williamson had reciprocated,
saying, “He was a formidable player,
growing up. That seems odd to say
because we were the same age play-
ing against each other on a number
of occasions and then to go into in-
ternational cricket at a youngish age,
then IPL and these different sorts
of things. So, it has obviously been
a pleasure watching Virat play and
evolve into the superstar that he is.”
Their individual form aside, both
captains have led teams that had
wildly contrasting fortunes with
the bat. For Kohli, the top order had
been key to the team’s success, with
the top three scoring 69 per cent
of the total runs, till the semi-final.

However, it was in Manchester, in the

game that mattered the most, that

the top order failed. Sharma, K.L.

Rahul and Kohli together got three

runs.

Williamson has had the opposite

problem. His top order has consist-

ently failed, especially with the expe-

rienced Martin Guptill in poor form.

Given the chinks in the batting

armours, both captains have had to

rely on their bowlers to win them

matches. While Kohli had the sup-

port of Bumrah, Mohammed Shami

and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, William-

son has had to rely on Trent Boult

and Lockie Ferguson.

“Boult knows the Indian batsmen

extremely well,” said former New

Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

CAPTAINCY

MATCHES

@CWC 2019

WON

LOST

TIED

NO RESULT

WIN%

MATCHES

WON

LOST

TIED

NO RESULT

WIN%

VIRAT KOHLI KANE WILLIAMSON

77

56

19

1

1

74.34

74

40

32

0

2

55.55

2

0

1

70 60

76

3

0

1

10 10

“They have to stay aggressive and

let Trent work his magic at the start.

In the middle [and late overs], his

reverse swing, yorkers and now the

knuckle ball mark him out as one

of the world’s premier white-ball

bowlers.”

As Vettori had predicted, Boult

and his new-ball partner Matt Hen-

ry blew away India’s top order, and

with it their hopes of making an-

other World Cup final. Boult would

have to deliver again in the final on

July 14. But, guided by that iceman

with a gentle smile, both Boult and

New Zealand can together dream

of lifting their first-ever World Cup.

And, as the saying in the cricketing

world goes, it could not happen to

nicer guys.

IMAGING DENI LAL