Martin Guptill looking forward to cementing his spot in New Zealand batting line-up
Martin Guptill is pleased with his batting form ahead of the cricket World Cup that starts in February next month, the right hander has been in fine nick in the on-going series in Pakistan and has scored consistently at the top of
the innings in all formats of the game.
He was one of the main performers in the three match T20 series that the hosts won convincingly; he followed that performance with a solid show in the two test series that the hosts lost.
Guptill was once again at his best in the first ODI of the six match series scoring an unbeaten knock as the hosts cruised to a crushing 9 wicket win.
Before he regained his touch he was all over the place with his form, he was shuffled regularly in the batting order and feels that was one reason for his decline before the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 tour.
"It was extremely difficult," Guptill told NZPA. "You feel like everything is running against you, whether it is on or off the field. You beat yourself up inside, trying to get that confidence, and it just doesn't work. You've
got to try and stay as confident as possible and hopefully the results come from that. I just went back and had a look at what I was doing well and what I wasn't, and just started doing the little things right."
He added that the tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 was a great learning curve for him and made him realize the importance of staying at the wicket and graft for runs when the chips were down. He carried the same philosophy over to the series against
Pakistan and made sure that he occupied the crease for longer periods without necessarily curbing his natural instincts.
The right hander weathered the storm admirably in the tests series he was easily the most threatening and consistent of the home players across the four innings in the series. He made 163 runs at an average of 40.75, in the first
ODI at the Westpac ground in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wellington-c864 Guptill-Jesse Ryder opening combination raced to an 84 run start that all but sealed the game for the hosts after the men in green had been disposed off for an abysmal total of 124 runs in overcast conditions.
Guptill and Ryder’s performance in the match has made their credentials stronger for opening in the premier ODI tournament next month.
Guptill stated that he was comfortable in batting anywhere in the order for his country; he hopes to make his relationship with Ryder stronger at the top of the innings as opening has been a perennial ill for the Black Caps.
"It's what I'm comfortable with, so at the moment I'm happy with where I'm batting, but I'm also happy to bat at No 3. I don't find there's too much [difference]. I'll bat anywhere for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754," he said. "The guy's [Ryder] a fantastic
talent and hopefully he stays fit over the next couple of years so he can put some big numbers up for New Zealand”. Guptill hopes that the two carry their run in the World Cup and help their team advance to the knockout stages.
The Kiwis are placed in group A in the World Cup, they have qualified for the tournament’s semi-finals many times over the years yet have failed to cross that hurdle even once, if the likes of Guptill maintain their form and fitness across the competition
they might realize their elusive dream of World Cup glory.
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