Analysis: Firing on all cylinders, the Black Caps have a selection headache as they welcome back Kane Williamson and Tim Southee from injury. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, writes Sean Nugent.
Two wins from two and the Black Caps are flying at the Cricket World Cup.
New Zealand's 99-run victory over the Netherlands overnight was led by Mitchell Santner's five-wicket bag - the first by a Kiwi spinner at a World Cup - and runs from each of the top five.
It was a showcase of the Black Caps' depth and ability to garner wins with everyone chipping in with important contributions, rather than relying on the performance of one or two stars.
In a tournament format that spans nearly two months and the potential for a dozen games, having a multitude of players able to perform on any given day is crucial.
The Netherlands are certainly not the hardest test the Black Caps will face in India, although it is worth noting they had a far more comfortable time of it than Pakistan did over the weekend.
The return of Williamson and Southee
Will Young shook off his golden duck against England and the rumbling threat of losing his place in the side upon Kane Williamson's imminent return to top score with 70 and show his class against the turning ball.
Young scored 39 of his runs against spin off just 38 balls, and should retain his place against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who loom next on a spinner-friendly pitch in Chennai.
Rachin Ravindra kept up his sensational form with another half-century, and fared better with the ball too, taking one for 46 from his 10 overs.
The Black Caps believe Williamson will be fit to play against Bangladesh on Friday night, which gives the selectors a headache, albeit a positive one.
The obvious choice would be for Mark Chapman to drop out of the middle order, but still leaves a conundrum about where Ravindra should bat, given Williamson will slot straight back into his No. 3 spot.
In the past, Ravindra has been slotted into the No. 6 or No. 7 positions, but one feels his game is not entirely suited to playing the role of finisher.
Perhaps then, sliding down one spot to No. 4 would be better. This would allow him to still build an innings while remaining aggressive through the middle overs.
Williamson's return will also give the Black Caps a superb amount of depth in their batting lineup, with Glenn Phillips potentially coming in at No. 7 and Santner at No. 8.
Tim Southee also looks set to be fit after suffering from a fractured thumb last month.
But a return to the side for him looks more murky. Matt Henry has been in excellent form and has arguably been New Zealand's best ODI bowler since the last World Cup.
Since then, Henry has taken the most wickets of any New Zealand bowler (44) and averaged 24 with an economy rate of just 4.67.
Trent Boult is a shoe-in, which leaves just Lockie Ferguson as a potential paceman for Southee to replace.
Ferguson has also just returned from injury, and his pace was notably down against the Dutch. It will likely return as he gets his legs back, and the Black Caps will hope he will able to use that pace to blast out teams at this tournament.
Given the nature of some of the Indian pitches, it would make sense to play Southee on slower pitches and unleash Ferguson on those that provide a bit more pace and bounce.
Can the Black Caps win the World Cup?
Short answer: Yes. It will be a hard ask, yet through two games the Black Caps have shown they have enough quality to go all the way.
Ravindra's form with the bat has been a massive game-changer. Depth and experience in the middle order looked shaky coming into the tournament, but if he continues to play the way he has that lifts a huge amount of pressure off the shoulders of the likes of Williamson and Tom Latham.
It's still very early in the tournament, with all but two teams having played just one game, but the Black Caps have looked like one of the better sides so far.
India, considered by most to be the favourites to win the trophy, still look heavily reliant on Virat Kohli to score runs at the top of the order. While they were missing opener Shubman Gill - who has scored the most ODI runs in the world this year - having three of their top four dismissed for ducks in their victory against Australia is not a great sign.
Prior to the beginning of that game, former India coach Ravi Shastri declared an India-Australia match-up would likely be seen again in the final.
It was a peculiar statement given Australia have hardly looked like world beaters in recent times. In 12 ODIs this year, they've won five and lost seven. It would be silly to rule them out completely, but they are certainly not a favourite for a berth in the final next month.
South Africa looked strong against Sri Lanka, although would need to make history and end decades of hurt to go all the way, while Pakistan also look there or thereabouts. England, despite their demoralising loss against the Black Caps, will surely recover to make a push at defending their title.
The upcoming games against Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be a true measuring stick in which to judge the Black Caps. Both teams feature some of the world's best spin bowlers, and will definitely test the technique and ability of the Black Caps' batsmen against the turning ball.
If New Zealand can come through those games unscathed they will be well on their way to making the semi-finals. From there, anything is possible.
SHARE ME