Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey

3 Australian players who must step up to win T20 series vs NZ | 3 Australian players who must step up to come back from 0-2 down

With a T20 World Cup just months away, Australia still look unsure of their best combinations. The batting lineup is full of top order specialists, and the bowling attack is yet to deliver for the full 20 overs in the current series against New Zealand.

As a result, they sit 0-2 down in the five-match series, and the Black Caps are looking an all-round better side than Australia right now. Even the best betting sites in Australia have the team as rank outsiders to turn things around in this remaining three matches, after the incredible performances of Marcus Stoinis and Daniel Sams at Dunedin masked over the issues still haunting Australia’s T20 side.

With a limited number of matches scheduled until the T20 World Cup in India, these last three matches in New Zealand look even more crucial. The absence of crowds in Wellington due to a community outbreak of COVID-19 in Auckland could be an advantage for Australia, but for them to gain confidence and bounce back in the current series, three key players must step up to help turn things around.

Aaron Finch

Australian skipper Aaron Finch went through a similar form slump at the turn of 2019. Ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup, questions were asked about whether Finch even makes the Australian side’s best XI as David Warner was set to return from his 12-month ban.

Fast forward two years later, and Finch finds himself in a similar position. His struggles in BBL 10 have crept into the international circuit, and Finch will have to dig deep to turn things around as he managed to do two years ago. T20 is such a format that one or two big blows can see a spike in confidence, and that is what the Australians will be hoping for in the remainder of this series.

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell continues to land the big IPL contracts because of the potential he possesses. After a superb limited-overs series against India, Maxwell then had an indifferent BBL campaign followed by two low scores in this series. This has increased the spotlight on the hard-hitting batsman, who went for another mammoth price in the IPL Auction.

Given Australia’s middle order contains a number of top order specialists, the contribution of Maxwell is crucial to Australia’s hopes; not only for the remainder of this series, but also for the T20 World Cup. He will continue to take risks – as he should – but needs to ensure that they are as calculated as possible.

Kane Richardson

If Australia are to achieve glory for the first time at a T20 World Cup, as well as bounce back vs New Zealand, their death bowling needs to improve. The continued rotation of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, owing to a busy calendar, means that the next crop of bowlers must deliver.

Kane Richardson has regularly been touted as a death over specialist. However, he hasn’t been at his best in recent times, and is going at 10.62 runs per over this series. In their last three losses, Australia have conceded 54 in the last 4.4 overs vs India, 66 in the last five overs vs New Zealand and then 55 runs in the second game of the five-match series.

With Daniel Sams really struggling at the death in international cricket (whopping 93 runs in 5.4 overs), Richardson needs to lead the way to ensure Australia don’t let the game slip away at this stage.

One feels that if these three players perform, others can follow and Australia look a much better side. If they’re struggling, then they have a lot of catching up to do.