Black Caps tour of India - 2026

They also played in the golden age for fast bowling. The Aussies had Lillee and Thomo, we had Paddles, India had Kapil Dev, and the Windies had some decent guys too

@Crazy-Horse

Lance would've won every golf driving comp he entered, some with just one swing, he could hit a ball a very, very long way.
Batting failures dont matter in T20, sall about strike rate.
Make a couple of additions to his batting game and he'd be fine, not just fine, f'n dynamic, and so would Viv.

@canefan said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

They also played in the golden age for fast bowling. The Aussies had Lillee and Thomo, we had Paddles, India had Kapil Dev, and the Windies had some decent guys too

No one got a test triple ton from 1974 until 1990. That says it all for how tough the 80s was in terms of batting.

@canefan said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

They also played in the golden age for fast bowling. The Aussies had Lillee and Thomo, we had Paddles, India had Kapil Dev, and the Windies had some decent guys too

Missed out the Pakistani's too.

And back then, there was a lot less protection then there is now for batsmen.

@Crazy-Horse said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@mohikamo said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@MN5
Yep, Lance would be perfect for T20.

It's a hard one to judge. Sure, he could hit the ball a long way and was a powerful bloke, but there were quite a few failures on his part too. And most of the 6's that I recall were leg side, front foot wallaps. We will never know if he had the hand eye coordination to develop other shots.

I think he had a pretty agricultural technique but aside from immense strength he must have had a pretty good eye to hit some of those sixes he struck off Lillee and co at the MCG. These days I expect he would be able to practice full time and develop a wider range of shots. Guys like Botham and Richards would be superstars obviously. Someone like Ian Smith too had an amazing strike rate for that era. Imagine him with the bats they use today.

@Biorealism said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@Crazy-Horse said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@mohikamo said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@MN5
Yep, Lance would be perfect for T20.

It's a hard one to judge. Sure, he could hit the ball a long way and was a powerful bloke, but there were quite a few failures on his part too. And most of the 6's that I recall were leg side, front foot wallaps. We will never know if he had the hand eye coordination to develop other shots.

I think he had a pretty agricultural technique but aside from immense strength he must have had a pretty good eye to hit some of those sixes he struck off Lillee and co at the MCG. These days I expect he would be able to practice full time and develop a wider range of shots. Guys like Botham and Richards would be superstars obviously. Someone like Ian Smith too had an amazing strike rate for that era. Imagine him with the bats they use today.

It always amazed me that Beefy never got an ODI ton or five for. I would have thought that form of the game was tailor made for him.

Richards averaged 47 in ODIs in a very tough era. He'd be over 60 in both forms today. I have no doubt about that. An absolute monster at the crease.

Lance Cairns was a strange cricketer, his bowling action was pretty fucked up but he did the job.

This thread is about the Black Caps tour of India. Can we please stop turning every cricket thread into a walk down memory lane?

But if I don't hear about viv Richards or beefy Botham twice a day they might get forgotten

One of those quirks of cricket, where we end up chatting about everything but the game under our noses.

On the tour itself, I'll admit to having checked out of the T20's a bit. I'll be genuinely surprised to wake up to an NZC app alert that we've won over there in this format.

I recall around 84/85 seeing Lance Cairns playing a textbook perfect square drive all along the ground through point for 4 at Eden Park and some sections of the crowd booing him for trying to play like a batsman instead of slogging sixes.
Simpler times…
As for this T20 series; the next two games serve as reintegration warmups for our preferred XI now they’re all finally on deck. Best they be ramping up the performance and ensuing contest (with Jamieson and Win-A-Wish left on the sideline)

@Donsteppa said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

One of those quirks of cricket, where we end up chatting about everything but the game under our noses.

On the tour itself, I'll admit to having checked out of the T20's a bit. I'll be genuinely surprised to wake up to an NZC app alert that we've won over there in this format.

Is that timing? What time is it playing in NZ? Can you catch the end of the game at a reasonable time (e.g., over breakfast?)

@booboo yes

@booboo said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Is that timing? What time is it playing in NZ?

The T20I games start at 2:30 am NZT. I doubt many are watching live.

Good win overnight. At least it's not a series whitewash...

@Godder said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Good win overnight. At least it's not a series whitewash...

Casual 50 off 15 for Dube.

Santner is the new Warne? HIs bowling vs india is now ridiculous - and he's contributing iwth the bat. What a player (in T20)

Do not understand Mitchell shunted down to 6 to give Win A Wish Chapman another turn at playing with the grown ups

Would like to see for the WC:

1. Seifert
2. Allen
3. Ravindra
4. Mitchell
5. Phillips
6. Neesham
7. Santner
8. Henry
9. Sohdi
10. Ferguson
11. Duffy

@Sprinko I'd be tempted to bat Santner at 6 given the format, his form this summer and that he is captain.

Neesham would give you a LH power hitter that could be a floater depending on the game state. I wouldn't trust him to bowl more than 1-2 overs. Maybe he has an injury at the moment?

@nzzp said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@Godder said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Good win overnight. At least it's not a series whitewash...

Casual 50 off 15 for Dube.

Santner is the new Warne? HIs bowling vs india is now ridiculous - and he's contributing iwth the bat. What a player (in T20)

He's better. Warne actually struggled against India relatively speaking

@Bovidae said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Neesham would give you a LH power hitter that could be a floater depending on the game state. I wouldn't trust him to bowl more than 1-2 overs. Maybe he has an injury at the moment?

Neesh can bowl some absolute pies but the idea of him as someone coming in anywhere depending on the situation has merit, you can easily rotate him, Santner, Bracewell and Phillips. All colossal hitters of the cricket ball although the team on the whole isn't short of guys who can do that.

@Bovidae He’s recovering from the Bangladesh T20 league (won the final alongside Kane)
Should be good to go for the 5th T20

@MN5 said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@nzzp said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@Godder said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Good win overnight. At least it's not a series whitewash...

Casual 50 off 15 for Dube.

Santner is the new Warne? HIs bowling vs india is now ridiculous - and he's contributing iwth the bat. What a player (in T20)

He's better. Warne actually struggled against India relatively speaking

yeah yeah I know. But people have him as shorthand for 'great spinner'. I thought (hot take) Murali was better ... who also struggled against india Neither clearly as good as Santner though!

Surely we want Mitchell batting as long as possible? Or is he a safety net at 4?

@Bones said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Surely we want Mitchell batting as long as possible? Or is he a safety net at 4?

Always tempting particularly if a couple of wickets fall early.

Mind you given how he goes in the other two formats I'm not sure he needs the added pressure of excelling in this one too.

This tour is great for the inner child.

Arsedeep replaces bumrush

And it resulted in catching a rash

@Bones said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

This tour is great for the inner child.

Arsedeep replaces bumrush

Hardik had a good innings of 42 as well

@MN5 said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@Bones said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

This tour is great for the inner child.

Arsedeep replaces bumrush

Hardik had a good innings of 42 as well

Hardik is so powerful. Really smashes it.