Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » Cricket » The Cup » Statistics
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Pressure Map: Australia vs New Zealand
Srinivas Bhogle
April 21, 2007 19:52 IST
Last Updated: April 21, 2007 21:30 IST

349 is a huge target to chase, but this was the sort of target that New Zealand had successfully chased in their last two home encounters against Australia.

In a World Cup match in the West Indies, however, the Rediff.com expert reckoned that New Zealand would find it hard to cross 280. So New Zealand's initial pressure index (PI) was 150.

Openers Peter Fulton and Stephen Fleming started cautiously, but just when Fleming started opening his shoulders he was adjudged caught behind by umpire Aleem Dar. Fleming looked distraught and New Zealand's PI, which had dropped below 150 after a Fleming sixer, rose to 152.

Minutes later the PI jumped to 160 when Glenn McGrath claimed the wicket of Ross Taylor.

Fulton and Scott Styris, who is having a wonderful World Cup, successfully pretended that all was well and raced along to 75/2 in 10 overs. The PI at that point was down to143.

But then Styris needlessly jumped out to McGrath and this triggered off the sort of collapse that one expects from the minnows. From 75/2 it became 89/5. From a PI of 143, it soon became a PI of 175.

There was little left after that. New Zealand just gave up and proceeded to pack their bags for the crucial semi-final encounter against Sri Lanka in Jamaica on Tuesday.

New Zealand will wonder if resting fast bowler Shane Bond in this match was a mistake. Of course, Ian Chappell didn't make a big fuss about this and demand a probe by the International Cricket Council.

We hear all that crap only if Sri Lanka drop Muttiah Muralitharan or Chaminda Vaas.

  • Click to view Australia vs New Zealand, Pressure Match
  •  

    Sunil T and Sunil Patil of Cranes Software created this pressure map based on the details retrieved from the Rediff scorer



    The Cup: Complete Coverage

    Would you like to join the Cricket and Cricket Lovers Discussion Group and discuss your cricket views with other cricket freaks? Click here. Have fun!

     Email this Article      Print this Article

    © 2007 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback