CHENNAI: India top three — Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan — were at their aggressive best hitting quickfire half-centuries and laying a solid foundation for a mammoth total against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final. They were one of the reasons behind the co-hosts' emphatic triumph in Ahmedabad on Sunday with Shivam Dube being a factor as well.
Saurabh Walkar, New Zealand's performance analyst, believed the Mumbai all-rounder shifted the momentum in India's favour with his hammering of James Neesham in the final over. "The Indian team batted really well. The way they batted, the way they played aggressive cricket, I think that changed the game. How the top three batted was a factor and also the way Dube played in the fag end especially in the last over. That shifted the momentum because there is a difference between chasing 210-220 and chasing 250," Walkar, who has been associated with the Kiwi team since 2023, told this daily.
Dube came in in the 19th over and was two off two balls at the start of the final over. He then plundered 24 runs from Neesham's over slamming two sixes and three fours to take the team's total to 255/5. He remained unbeaten on 26 off just eight balls. Overall, he scored 235 runs from eight innings and his strike rate of 169.06 was only behind Samson and Kishan as far as India are concerned.
The surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium was always going to assist batters and chasing a target was the way to go for any team. New Zealand skipper Mitchel Santner did the same, fully aware that they might have to chase a 200-plus target. "We were expecting a 200 or 210 target as it was a batting track. The one big difference between semifinal and final was boundaries as they were bigger in Ahmedabad than Mumbai. The plan was to keep playing the natural game. When you are chasing such a huge total, you don't decide anything. Everyone is a professional and they know what needs to be done in a particular situation. They have to take their chances," Walkar, who also worked with the Mumbai Ranji team in the past, said on New Zealand's strategy while chasing the improbable total.
Off break bowler Cole McConchie, who played a key role in New Zealand's victory over South Africa in the semifinal, was surprisingly not in the playing XI for the final. Instead pacer Jacob Duffy was brought in for the all-important game. Walkar attributed the change to the wicket on offer at the venue. "We have seen South Africa's previous two-three matches. They were playing against pacers well. Their strike rate was around 140-150 against pacers. Against spinners, their SR was low. Besides, they had two left-handers, again there was (Aiden) Markram as well who could have been aggressive against the offie. So it's important to decide what lengths should be bowled to Markram and what lengths should be bowled to Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. So only bowling with an offie was not important. The important thing was which lengths should be bowled to which batters. As far as India were concerned, when they were struggling against an offie, they were playing with three lefties at the top. But then they included Sanju. Second, the wicket in Ahmedabad was a bouncy one made of red soil. So fast bowlers had help on that surface."
The Kiwis are a force to reckon with in any ICC tournament. No matter what their show is during bilaterals but they have always been a team to beat in marquee events being organised by the world body. The team's performance analyst attributed it to their adaptability and credited players for the impressive run. "More than any of us from the support staff, the players are self aware. They come up with their own preparations and then seek help in what needs to be done. Credit goes to the players. They have their own work ethics which makes the difference."
Walkar said surface plays an important role in devising strategies as nature of the wicket decides which lengths should be bowled to which batters. He also said that he does his homework before the match by studying his opponents and his team members. "Before any game, I have to study the opposition and our squad and accordingly I give them inputs. I have to be prepared before speaking to coaches. I study a batter by having a look at his last 10 matches. What was his approach, was he targetting a particular area, was there any pattern. Then there is software available so we get all the data. Reading the data is important and how you present it is very important. For example if someone is struggling against off spin, then you have to see the release point, what's bowler's trajectory was, the speed of the ball and several other factors. These things matter a lot."
The Black Caps have not won an ICC title in limited-overs since 2000 and lost quite a few finals — the two ODI World Cup finals (2015 and 2019), two T20 World Cup finals (2021 and 2026) and the 2025 Champions Trophy final. Walkar said the team usually doesn't talk about it and tries to stay in the present and prepare for the next challenge.
Currently in London for The Hundred auction where he is with the Welsh Fire, Walkar will be back in the country soon to join Punjab Kings' camp for the 2026 IPL. With New Zealand not able to cross the final hurdle, Walkar will give his all to help Punjab franchise lift their maiden crown with him in the victorious team's dug-out this time around.