In a dramatic turn of events at the hallowed grounds of Lord’s during the fourth ODI clash between England and New Zealand, fate dealt a cruel hand to the Kiwi squad, sending shockwaves through their World Cup preparations.
With the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup just around the corner, New Zealand found themselves grappling with a slew of injuries on that fateful Friday, the 15th of September, at Lord’s, a scenario no cricket fan could have foreseen.
The game began with Daryl Mitchell, displaying extraordinary athleticism in the slip cordon, taking a sensational catch to send the dangerous Jonny Bairstow back to the pavilion. But this brilliant effort came at a cost, as Mitchell walked off the field clutching his left ring finger, having seemingly dislocated it – a major setback for the Kiwis.
As if this blow wasn’t enough, New Zealand’s woes continued to mount. Opening batsman Finn Allen, while attempting a challenging catch off Joe Root’s bat in the 12th over, ended up injuring his finger during a valiant one-handed effort. The pain forced him to leave the field, leaving the Kiwi camp even more concerned.
And then, in a cruel twist of fate, the experienced campaigner Tim Southee was added to the injury list. While diving to take a crucial catch off Ben Lister’s bowling, Southee valiantly threw himself in the line of fire but saw the ball cruelly strike his thumb, deflecting it to the third-man boundary. Southee’s injury prompted New Zealand to announce that he would require further assessment of his finger, effectively ruling him out of the game.
While there was a silver lining with Mitchell seen sporting some tape in the dugout, suggesting his injury might not be as severe as feared, the overall situation has cast a shadow of uncertainty over New Zealand’s World Cup campaign. Two of the three affected players are part of the World Cup squad, and with captain Kane Williamson’s return still uncertain after a prolonged absence due to injury, the Kiwis find themselves in a race against time to get their key players back in form and fitness before the cricketing spectacle of the year unfolds.
