The WHITE FERNS pride themselves on maintaining a positive mindset and their focus is sharp on their big impending clash with Australia.
After lots of quips about air miles — as one of just two teams playing in a different venue every game (the other is host India) in the women's World Twenty20 Group stages, the team has arrived in Nagpur, which lies in the hot centre of the vast country.
The Australian Southern Stars are already in Nagpur, having been based there since early last week and having played and edged South Africa at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in what proved a turbulent opening Group match for the defending champions.
The Protea women gave the Southern Stars a nudge. ICC/Getty
The upcoming NZ-AUS rematch is likely to be heated in more ways than one, Nagpur afternoon temperatures regularly approaching 40 degrees celsius this week. Play for the WHITE FERNS starts at 3.30pm local time in India.
Illness has hit both antipodean camps in the build-up, WHITE FERNS allrounder Anna Peterson fighting off a bout ot flu and Australian captain Meg Lanning dealing with a nasty bout of gastro right before the coin toss against South Africa — although it couldn’t stop the rising superstar of the game from scoring a match-winning unbeaten 30 from 19 balls, after missing half of the first innings in the field.
Fronting under pressure, Meg Lanning remains under a cloud in Nagpur. ICC/Getty
Lanning came out to bat down the order at six when her team was in the balance at 53/4, needing a further 50 runs for victory, and is now being monitored ahead of the crunch clash on Monday night, which will be televised LIVE on SKY Sport.
Listen to Suzie Bates previewing the WHITE FERNS' clash with Australia
While Suzie Bates’s New Zealanders are coming off a 2-1 Twenty20 Series win at home against Lanning’s Australians, the WHITE FERNS are treating “every match like a final” and reading nothing into a hot streak that has seen them win nine of their last 11 Twenty20 Internationals — including four wins in India, split between last year’s successful bilateral series and their opening two Group matches at this ICC World Twenty20.
The WHITE FERNS currently head Group A as the only side to have completed two wins, while Australia has one from one.
Australia is expected to present a sterner test, and both sides will fight hard for the points and unbeaten tag before the WHITE FERNS wrap up their Group phase at the tourney against unpredictable South Africa.
Ritual: South Africa prays before its Australian encounter. ICC/Getty
Leading from the front throughout has been captain Bates, racking up back to back player of the match trophies after top-scoring in both wins, against Sri Lanka by seven wickets, and Ireland by 93 runs.
Bates is the tournament’s leading runscorer from all countries with 119 runs at 59.50 in these early stages.
The skipper also became the first New Zealand woman to reach 2000 career runs in the last win, sharing a powerful 104-run stand with Sophie Devine.
Devine paid tribute to her much respected compatriot — who debuted for the WHITE FERNS a decade ago this month, when she was just 18, tucked right down the order for her maiden ODI.
“It’s a fantastic achievement, and something I know she is incredibly humble about, despite being the first New Zealander to do it,” says Devine.
Shot skip. Sara McGlashan celebrates a six from Suzie Bates. ICC/Getty
“She’s a leader who leads from the front, who leads with her actions on the park. She’s a real inspiration to all of us — and hopefully there is another 2000 runs left in her.”
Devine says the resilient side is well aware they need to keep upping their game as the tournament progresses.
“We wanted to stamp our mark on the game against Ireland and put in a complete performance with bat and ball, and we did that really well.
“It puts us in good stead for the tough challenge against Australia, but there are still little things we would like to work on before then.
“One thing that we are really focussing on is our scoring shot percentage, as we look to score off every ball in the over.
ICC/Getty
“Bowling wise, in the first six overs batters are always going to come hard at you with two fielders up, so that’s another area where you can continually look for improvement.
“We’ve been adjusting our plans for those first six overs, looking to contain — and our spinners are doing a great job slowing the run rate and taking wickets."
Group A: WHITE FERNS v Australia in Nagpur
LIVE on SKY Sport pop-up channel, coverage starts 10.30pm Monday night New Zealand time
