Aussies, here we come: NZ vs Pakistan

A belated post, this should have been written a week back when the kiwis hearteningly came good in the crunch game and beat Pakistan by 51 runs. The semi final game against the Aussies is close on the heels of this entry, and I'm strapped for time and energy at the moment, so this'll be a short post.

The win against Pakistan served to illustrate just how reliant New Zealand are on a group of core (and unfortunately, injury-prone) players, namely Bond, Styris, Oram and Vettori. Of course, Stephen Fleming marked his record breaking 194th game as skipper with a vital 80, but the side was totally transformed thanks to the contributions of Styris (86) , the allround efforts of Oram and Shane Bond's comeback spell. Bond was wayward to begin with, but the fact that he returned to snare Yousuf Youhana and Abdul razzaq showed he is indispensible. Genuine pace is a great commodity which is why he'll have to hit his straps against the Aussies once more, for NZ to come through.

Recent history indicates that Australia remain the dominant neighbour in Trans-Tasman clashes. But the main difference between the two sides is the bench strength: while Australia are spoiled for choice going into the game, NZ have to sweat on the fitness of the core group of players I mentioned. Indeed, it looks like Styris isn't going to make the cut after all which leaves the middle order vulnerable. Whether or not Ross Taylor is allowed to play, I doubt he'll be selected, leaving Marshall and Fulton the enviable task of finding form against the Aussies. On a good day, New Zealand's best XI will prove a match for the Aussies so I'll still hold my breath. NZ just don't have the replacements ready once the key players are unfit though, which seems to tilt the balance in favour of Australia.

Fleming & co have seen an awful lot of Australia in recent years, so he might just be able to work on their predictability. As always, the kiwis' best chance lies in attacking from the word go, as they did back in 2002. I'd say their defeats were more a mental thing than anything else. They seem to be playing good cricket at the moment, so it's a case of striking while the iron is hot. Here's hoping the Champions Trophy Aussie Jinx lives on.