Glenn Philips: Most of us are very foreign to these conditions, barring probably guys who have had a lot of success in the IPL

Phillips praises the IPL experience for the team’s control in both the two warm-up games and the first match of the CWC, despite the very dissimilar conditions from those in New Zealand while he has emphasized that the team is trying to avoid getting overly excited by wins or even falling too low in defeat, even though there is only one game down.

New Zealand, a team that typically goes unnoticed at international tournaments, has made an early, emphatic declaration of being regarded as major title contenders after cruising to a nine-wicket victory over England in the first game of the World Cup in Ahmedabad – chasing the target of 283 in just 36.2 overs. 

The fact that they were able to easily defeat the defending champions despite the absence of three crucial players—Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson—only highlights the group strength.

Glenn Phillips praises the IPL experience for the team’s control in both the two warm-up games and the first match of the CWC, despite the very dissimilar conditions from those in New Zealand.

“Obviously, we’ve got guys who have played in various IPL teams,”

Phillips said.

“Myself and Kane playing here obviously brings a little bit of an advantage to giving information to the boys. We try to take all the information and put it together and as I said, come on the day and adapt to the conditions as fast as possible. Obviously, a pitch can play differently one day than it will for another. So, for us to be able to collate that information, understand what we have in our bank, and stick to our strengths and skills on that particular pitch will be very important.

“When 90% of the teams are away teams, it almost levels the playing field quite nicely. India has the home advantage and they play incredibly strong cricket at home. But with the other subcontinent teams Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, these are still semi-foreign conditions to them… so for us to be able to go out there and try to adapt as quickly as possible on the day [will be key]. I think that’s what we pride ourselves on understanding that you get one shot at each team and it comes down to who can adjust to the conditions on the day. Most of us are all very foreign to these conditions, barring probably guys who have had a lot of success in the IPL over the years.”

He has emphasized that the team is trying to avoid getting overly excited by wins or even falling too low in defeat, even though there is only one game down. 

“The mood is very neutral. Obviously, we enjoyed the first win incredibly much, but obviously, with the tournament being such a quick turnaround, we try to keep things as neutral as possible, not get too high when we win, and not get too low when we lose. And I think that’s the key for us throughout this competition.”

Rachin Ravindra, who was chosen to replace the injured Williamson in the playing XI, scored a match-winning 96-ball 123* to become the third-youngest centurion in World Cup history. He also received the Player of the Match award. 

Williamson’s expected return for New Zealand’s third game may cause some selection difficulties, but Glenn Phillips isn’t shocked by what Rachin delivered while Williamson was away and what he can accomplish going forward.

“I wasn’t surprised at all [by Rachin’s knock],”

Phillips admitted on Sunday.

“Obviously, I’ve played a lot of cricket with him back home and he plays a very aggressive brand of one-day cricket being at the top of the order. He likes to play with a lot of flair. He plays that square drive incredibly well, which with the new ball is an absolute asset. And then the way he combined with Dev [Devon Conway] as well, the tempo they both set, they struck at 120, 130 without even almost lifting a finger. It was phenomenal to watch.”

Rachin and Devon Conway’s unbroken 273-run partnership helped New Zealand to surpass England’s total. Conway also scored his first World Cup century (121-ball 15*), continuing the strong performance from the second warm-up game. Phillips thinks the side will do well based on the performance.

“They were absolutely brilliant. Obviously 270-odd run partnership is phenomenal, especially for two guys in their first World Cup. I guess from a team perspective it’s nice to know that those two boys are in some serious form and everyone in the warm-up games had a nice little head out and yeah, it’s a good feeling in the camp at the moment,”

Phillips said.

They will be facing a team that, despite lacking experience and playing time, did manage to give their opponents, Pakistan, a scare in the tournament opener, despite ultimately losing by a score of 81 runs. 

Phillips acknowledged that New Zealand would be wary of the threat that the Netherlands is expected to present in their match on Monday in Hyderabad, particularly given their open admission that they have nothing to lose.

“We approach every game the same way every time, every team is strong in their own right, especially on the given day. The Netherlands has a lot of strong players, and we’re going to have to still put our best foot forward, as I’m sure they will. So, keep coming up with our plans, doing our scouting, making sure that we have everything set in place, and not taking any team lightly.

“I think they’re a really good team. Obviously, they’ve beaten quite a few good opponents to be able to qualify for the tournament in the first place. So, they’re a team not to be taken lightly. They have a lot of highly professional cricketers that play all through county cricket as well. So, they’ve got a good skill set. They know their roles. They bond together well as a team. And I think they’re going to be a tough team to beat in this competition.”