Cricket World Cup 2023 AFG vs NZ | We couldn’t put pressure on the Kiwis for long: Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott
The Hindu
New Zealand's clinical performance puts them on top of the table. Azmatullah Omarzai provided a silver lining for Afghanistan with two wickets and battling with the bat. Mitchell Santner became the second Kiwi spinner to take 100 ODI scalps. Pitch aided spinners in second innings. Trott credits NZ for performance, Santner felt pitch had more spin.
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott credited New Zealand for its “clinical performance” that put it on top of the table here on Wednesday.
“I think New Zealand played well, but got into a difficult position after we took quick wickets. However, we couldn’t put pressure on them for long enough. We dropped (Tom) Latham twice but credit to them for the way they played and steadied the ship... they steered the team to a defendable total,” said Trott.
Azmatullah Omarzai provided the silver lining for Afghanistan on the day. The 23-year-old all-rounder picked up two wickets in one over before battling with the bat in what proved a losing cause.
“I see him with a very bright future with both bat and ball. His batting, at the moment, is developing really well. I have always rated him as a bowler and his bowling has improved leaps and bounds.
“I wanted him to bat a little longer in this match and get a few more runs, but unfortunately he couldn’t quite get it right,” said Trott.
“It certainly wasn’t a 130 pitch. Yes, it did spin a little more towards the end but I feel that the seamers did all the damage. We were 28 for two after the first PowerPlay, and when you are chasing 280, it will put a lot of pressure on the players down the order,” said Trott about the team’s batting effort.
Mitchell Santner, who took three wickets against Afghanistan, became the second Kiwi spinner after Daniel Vettori to take 100 ODI scalps.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.