A late entrant to international cricket, another product of the Bracewell family is making up for lost time

After smashing 140 off 78 balls in the first ODI against India on Wednesday, the 31-year-old New Zealander has made a strong case for becoming the world’s most feared number seven batsman.

Chasing 350, his team was 131 for six, but Michael stayed in the moment and killed the Indian attack all over the ground to single-handedly take his team to the brink of an unlikely victory before being bowled out for just 12. .

Such was his zone that he picked a spot and the ball followed, be it an audacious scoop off Mohammed Shami or an outrageous driver at cover by Kuldeep Yadav. In all, no less than 10 sixes came from his blade.

Having made his international debut in March last year, 10 years after his first first-class appearance, Michael is sure to make the occasion count. It wasn’t the first time he found himself in a hopeless situation. In just his fourth ODI, he had smashed an unbeaten 127 against Ireland, chasing 301 after New Zealand lost by six wickets for 153 runs.

100! @braceyourself10 it’s special. Brings up his second ODI 100 in just 57 balls. His partnership with Mitchell Santner is now worth over 130 runs. 43 overs 274/6 chasing 350 in Hyderabad. Follow the game LIVE with New Zealand @skysportnz. LIVE | https://t.co/S2PsDT6yGW = BCCI #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/pjjsH73D59

BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) January 18, 2023

He couldn’t get his team over the line on Wednesday but won plenty of fans for his fearless display. His family, which includes three Test cricketers John Bracewell (uncle), Brendon Bracewell (uncle) and Doug Bracewell (cousin), is also proud. His father Mark, his coach since childhood, played first-class cricket for New Zealand.

Speaking after his epic innings, Bracewell said his years in domestic cricket will help him immensely at the highest level.

I would say most international cricketers are quite motivated, but the advantage I have is that I got experience in domestic cricket and understood how I wanted to play.

I came into international cricket kind of knowing that this is how I am successful domestically and I am going to try to emulate that in international cricket.

There have been some patchy moments so far, but when it does come off, it feels pretty good. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the team over the line tonight, said Michael after the game.

Michael shared a record 162 with Mitchell Santner to take the game into the lead. When he came in at number 29, New Zealand needed up to 219 runs. However, he feels that the difficult situation worked in his favor.

I think you are just trying to win the game of cricket. It’s just about coming in and trying to do your part. It kind of takes the pressure off when you lose so many points. You just try to rebuild and not get too far ahead of yourself, he said when asked about his mindset when batting alongside Santer.

It’s one of those things, once you get over the line, you start to believe you can do it again. We watched Shubman bat for 50 overs and found it to be a pretty good wicket. You could play your shots, especially the downs seemed pretty small straight.

We just talked about giving ourselves a chance and taking the game deep. We didn’t really talk too much about winning the game at that point, but if you can lay the groundwork early, you give yourself a chance on the back end. We got close, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Apart from 100 first-class games, Michael, who has also been effective off-spin, has played a lot of T20 cricket for New Zealand. So it was no surprise that he played the ODI innings in T20 style.

T20 has had a huge impact on ODI cricket and that is what makes ODI cricket so exciting. You can be in the same position as us and still strive for dominance. I don’t think we got into a dominant position, but we put ourselves in a position where we could have won the game.

The skills that players learn in T20 cricket are very useful in the one-day game, he opined.

Speaking about the family’s cricketing tradition, Michael said he is short on advice but values ​​his father’s opinion the most.

I talk to whole people about the game and I keep it like a closed circle. My dad is probably the one I talk to the most. He gives good advice from the age of 2.

I certainly value his opinion more than anyone else, but being away from home the BLACKCAPS coaching staff has been amazing and wonderful to bounce ideas off of.