David Leggat: The batting smarts. Having got a flying start, they had to work their way out of a potentially sticky situation with two batsmen on 2 and 1 when the power play arrived. All that momentum could have been lost, but Grant Elliott, Luke Ronchi and especially Corey Anderson made sure it wasn't, with a blend of brutalilty and savvy batting and sharp reading of the situation.
2. Will Sri Lanka bounce back from that defeat?
DC: They'll need to beat up a couple of minnows to get their mojo back. My sense is that they're down on confidence and there is way too much reliance on Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. I know he's already got a test series win in England on his CV, but Angelo Mathews has not struck me as a particularly inspirational or innovative skipper since Sri Lanka landed here.
AA: Expect a resurgence. Should dispatch Afghanistan and Bangladesh before meeting England and Australia. Malinga will be more match-fit by then and how often, as happened yesterday, do Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene score less than 50 in the same innings? Put it this way... it didn't happen in January's seven-match series.
DL: It's far from a deal breaker for them. And Lasith Malinga will be better for the workout. They need to rely on more than Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan with the bat - and to be fair Thirimanne looked good for his 65. Their fielding must improve, but they've been talking about that since they arrived. It's sure not the end of the world but they need to buck up.
3. How important was that win for New Zealand considering there is still a lot of cricket to play?
DC: The way the tournament is formatted, it's not especially important in terms of qualification for the quarter-finals, that was expected anyway. It is a really good tone setter, however.The challenge is to maintain that intensity through to the end of March.
AA: It will imbue the New Zealanders with substantial confidence because of its impeccable construction. A big total with the majority of the order getting an early batting exam, which enabled the bowlers to exert themselves without any reason for stage fright.
DL: A good start, and an extra jab of self belief. No more, no less.
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