Guptill wasn't necessarily designated for the role on Saturday as he scratched for form - he had two runs off 29 balls initially - but it demonstrated the concept can work.
New Zealand has completed 19 ODI matches since the start of 2013. In five of those they didn't complete 50 overs batting due to rain. In the other 14 they reached the 35-over mark with three wickets down six times, winning four, losing one narrowly in Bangladesh and having the rest of the order implode in the final 15 overs to give them too few runs batting first in Napier against England.
Four wins out of six ain't bad. Compare that to the eight matches in which they lost more than three wickets in 35 overs; they won three and lost five. As Kenny Rogers sang: "Every gambler knows the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep." A gambling cricket captain like Brendon McCullum, to paraphrase Kenny again, might've found an ace that he can keep.
McCullum appreciates the theory but says it can't become all-consuming. Speaking after New Zealand had taken a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with a game to play in Hamilton on Wednesday, he said: "It's great to be one or two down by 35 overs but you can't waste those overs solely to get into a launch position. You need momentum to build a platform."
Still, those Nelson circumstances provided surety despite Guptill receiving taunts about inducing boredom.
"I think people expect too much sometimes," Guptill said. "They don't know what the conditions are like in the middle.
"To get through the initial period, adjust and end up with 81, well, I'm happy."
The cricketing fanbase must appreciate innings like Corey Anderson's world record 36-ball century and Jesse Ryder's 46-ball ton in Queenstown are rarities. They were created under special circumstances with the match shortened to 21 overs by rain. In a bizarre way they're almost counter-productive because they create false expectations. The upshot is knowing such an arsenal exists when required. Anderson completed his world record across 13.2 overs on New Year's Day. There's nothing to stop him doing that from the 36th over in a full match.
"An innings like Corey's [world record ODI innings] doesn't happen every day," Guptill said."Shahid [Afridi] held that for 17 years. It's unrealistic to expect it all the time."
Consideration must be given to tempo. Yes, pitches are often a pleasure to bat on in the shorter formats but seldom is a team not competitive after compiling 286 for five. Such a score adds a psychological edge to a chase as required run rates escalate.
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