The sylvan setting of Dharamsala provides the right ambience for good, competitive cricket. In a few hours from now, the two teams atop the leaderboard of the ICC World Cup, India and New Zealand, will look to stamp their authority.
What is perhaps unique is the lack of hiss and cuss words from the Black Caps. Are they a meek side, or are they genuinely nice guys who play sport clean and fair? Anyone who has followed the history of New Zealand cricket will agree, by and large, that they are the good guys.
But did we not hear that nice guys do not win? Well, that may be true for the Kiwi side in the last two editions of the ODI World Cup, finishing as runners-up in 2015 and 2019. But Kane Williamson and the team then did the unthinkable in the wet summer of July 2021 in Southampton and won the ICC World Test Championship. The reception that the team got back home in New Zealand was tepid.
Had it been India, there would have been a motorcade and tickertape to celebrate. For New Zealand, with a population less than a small Indian state, it is not in their DNA to make things loud.
Brendon McCullum may have lit up the IPL with his 158 in the opening match in 2008, but most Kiwis are quiet by nature. They usually don’t talk of revenge, or hype things up. That is not to be confused as a sign of meekness.
Flip through the annals of New Zealand cricket, and there are some brilliant men who have led the side. The names of Glenn Turner, Geoff Howarth, Martin Crowe, Stephen Fleming, and Williamson all come to mind readily.
Of course, if you have been addicted to pace bowling, the name of Richard Hadlee will never be missed. His presence was benign but with the red cherry, Sir Richard was a devil. Even in supposedly spin-friendly conditions in India, his skills could win a game.
To be sure, on the day of the India-New Zealand match in Dharmasala, there are no loud noises from the Black Caps. Professionalism is something which the Kiwis wear on their sleeves. Get done with the job and move on. There cannot be loud noise in their celebrations.
After all, Dharamsala is scenic and the mountains above are already coated white after snowfall. If that is the weather condition, the Kiwi cricketers are kind of Teflon-coated. There is no needless heat from a war of words or media interviews or social media posts. It is this charming approach from those coming all the way from Auckland and other cities in New Zealand which makes you wonder how they play cricket.
The beauty of Kiwi cricket is they treat it just as a sport. Yet, they are professional to the core, and someone like Williamson has been a wonderful ambassador. It is hard not to recall how calm he was after winning the ICC Test Championship trophy in 2021.
The reactions from Gautam Gambhir and even Ramiz Raja after that famous win were of massive respect for how the skipper had marshalled his resources well on the sixth (reserve) day of that big Test.
Perhaps, it may be worth recalling how one more New Zealand cricketer, John Wright, had also chipped in for Indian cricket. He was a coach from 2000 to 2005, and he delivered results. People in his own nation were surprised how Wright had been picked up by India. What he did was win the 2002 Champions Trophy and plot India’s path to the 2003 ICC World Cup final. It was good stuff.
Cricket has to fight for popularity back home. Rugby is the No. 1 sport, and cricket comes down the pecking order. Maybe that helps them stay grounded, and not go overboard like the Aussies can at times. And for all those who have read about the trans-Tasman rivalry, it’s not the same intensity as the Ashes.
So, will the quiet guys of cricket who are unbeaten till now come out blazing on Sunday? The guess is, even if they do, it will not be at a fever pitch. But do not take those pleasant dispositions for granted. The Black Caps are in India on a mission, just like South Africans appear to be.