Gautam Gambhir expressed his disappointment at New Zealand’s performance in the final of the T20 World Cup, saying that the side let the occasion get the better of them as they were defeated by Australia by eight wickets in the summit clash on Sunday.
Sign up to bet365 to be entered into a draw for the chance to win a Wisden Hoodie, terms and conditions apply, more information here. 18+ begambleaware.org
The Black Caps, sent in to bat first in Dubai, did well to post 172-4 but were left without answers in the second innings as David Warner and Mitchell Marsh took the Aussies over the line. Gambhir, writing in his column for The Times of India, felt the Kiwis did not play to their full potential and were “bullied around like an apprentice” by the Aaron Finch-led side, who claimed their first T20 World Cup title.
“My favourite side after India (for the T20 World Cup) was New Zealand. Seeing them bullied around like an apprentice wasn’t a pleasant experience.”
The former opener went on to add that Kane Williamson’s side lacked the zeal to win as the match went on. “They batted very well to score 172 for four. More often than not this kind of score isn’t that tough to defend, especially with a balanced attack like that of New Zealand. But clearly, the occasion got to them as they didn’t look like the same team that beat India or England in the semis.”
He further added that the New Zealand fans should be dejected at their team’s showing, which wasn’t “worthy of a final”.
“New Zealand is one team that prides itself on meticulous planning, clear role definitions, precise execution, and all this without any fanfare. If I was a New Zealand supporter, I would have demanded a refund seeing my team all over the place in the second half. It wasn’t a performance worthy of a final,” Gambhir concluded.
