The Kiwis are raring to take on India in the three-match Tests and five-match ODI series in India. Heading into the series, the Blackcaps, who lost to South Africa 0-1, had earlier beaten Zimbabwe 2-0. Commencing their home season, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team will be riding on the confidence of winning the four-Test series against West Indies 2-0 when they take on the visitors.
Under the leadership of Kane Williamson and able guidance of Mike Hesson, New Zealand will be looking to overcome the challenges presented by the young Indian team and the conditions that the sub-continent will present.
The visiting team will be practicing in Delhi and will also play a practice game against Ranji Trophy champions, Mumbai ahead of the Test series. “With the international schedule these days, you don’t get too many opportunities for big pre-series practice. We have just come from South Africa; we have come off the back of quite a bit of cricket. We had a week off to freshen up,” Williamson said while speaking about the team’s preparation.
“India is a tough place to play, particularly, I suppose, in more recent years the pitches have been very tricky. I guess [when] you throw in world-class spinners, the challenges are very tough, but at the same time we see it as a very exciting opportunity,” the New Zealand captain added.
Discussing spin bowling, which has troubled visiting teams in the past, Williamson said, “Yes, certainly spin has played a huge part in previous series here, and I think at times batting was difficult. So, no doubt, would be a bit of a scrap. Spin for both teams will play a big part. We have three very good spinners as well. It should be a good contest.
“India in their home conditions is one of the toughest challenges in the game, particularly in the Test formats, so we are excited to be involved and look to, I suppose, adapt having come from South Africa and Zimbabwe,” he stated.
Discussing the Indian conditions further, Hesson said, “Look, it’s very difficult for us to replicate those conditions at home, so the week between the series has been about rest and recovery. The next week-to-ten days is going to be critical to be really specific around individual game plans. But, most of our guys have played here before and they have certainly had success in the subcontinent somewhere, so we are going to have to draw on that experience as well.”
Speaking about spin, Hesson added, “Look, they have [overseas spinners have found it challenging to bowl in Indian conditions] but in the last couple of years, a number of overseas spinners have done well in these conditions. Even though our spinning group is young and inexperienced but gifted, as Kane mentioned before. The challenge for us is to firstly in adjusting to the different ball – the SG Test is going to be completely different to what we have been operating with the Kookaburra. So, there is a little bit of change there, a little bit of changing around seam angles, which are different over here than they are in different parts of the world. Even though we are not going to bowl like sub-continental bowlers, we do have to make sure that we find a way to create opportunities. All those three mentioned – Mark Craig, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi – are keen learners of the game and certainly we are going to put a lot of faith in them over the coming weeks.”
Besides spin, reverse swing has also been an integral aspect to bowling in the Indian conditions. Speaking of which, the coach said, “I think it is a huge component of playing cricket overseas. We have obviously spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe where we got the ball to reverse, and on surfaces that aren’t responsive in terms of seam movement and they are abrasive and lose their shine quickly. Overseas teams are keen to find ways to get the ball to reverse, obviously in a legitimate fashion. There are many different methods and we certainly are going to have to be working on that over the coming days.”
Elaborating further the captain said, “Hess mentioned that there is certainly an element of reverse swing when you come to this part of the world. Wherever you travel, you certainly need to adapt and I think that’s shown in many forms and tactics and certainly your selection. At the stage we get to the first Test, we need to see the surface. That will be a huge factor and Hess and myself will pick the best team suited for those conditions.”
Both teams are being led by young captains. Speaking about his opposite number, Williamson said, “Virat’s a great player. His ability to dominate all three formats is something very special, and certainly something that I admire. I love watching him play.”
