Over the last few years, India have been one of the in-form teams in world cricket. The other in-form team has been New Zealand, who have quietly put together a string of solid performances and built a team that is capable of challenging the best in all conditions.
After a successful tour of Australia, India have now made their way across the Tasman sea to New Zealand for a five-match ODI series. Given that there isn’t much time left for the 2019 World Cup, it will be a good chance for India skipper Virat Kohli to see where his side stands against quality opposition.
“The fact that they are the No 3 ranked team in the world speaks about their consistency. We played them recently in India as well and got beaten in Mumbai. They have good balance in their team, a good mix of youth and experience,” said Virat Kohli during pre-game press conference.
Kohli added: “The bowling attack is experienced and at the same time, not that old.. they have that energy about them and that something that we always appreciate in the New Zealand cricket team. Just in terms of balance, I think they are one of the most balanced teams in world cricket and that is going to be the biggest challenge for us.”
Other than the balance, India’s bowlers will also have to contend with the class of Kane Williamson. The New Zealand skipper is one of the best batsmen in the world and has absolutely no problem shifting between formats.
“Williamson is easily one of the best players in the world. So easy on the eye, great to watch, I really enjoy watching his batting personally and when he is on song, he is the most attractive to watch,” said Kohli. “He is always going to be a very solid player for New Zealand purely because of what he has done over all three formats and the way he has gone about making those runs. He more or less makes the team win when he makes those runs and I think that tells you about his awareness of the game.”
But at the same time, Kohli also knows that the rest of the New Zealand batting line-up is just as capable.
“Kane is always going to be an important factor for them but at the same time you can’t take Ross Taylor or anyone else for granted. But yes, in ODIs, their batting usually revolves around Williamson and Taylor. We are aware of that and we are working on our plans,” said the Indian captain.
Different challenge
The grounds in New Zealand usually present a very different challenge to the visiting teams. The dimensions and the sizes of the grounds usually mean big scores but sometimes, the weather conditions are such that bowlers can get a lot of help too.
“New Zealand has always had grounds which lead to high-scoring games. The key is not to panic too much. You see 300 runs being put up regularly, you just have to back yourself to get the runs or set a big target if you are batting first. Last time when we played here, we probably didn’t have the composure needed to chase 300+ or close to 300 here,” said Kohli.
New Zealand have also developed a reputation as a team that is very difficult to beat in home conditions. They know how to exploit their conditions well and that will be another challenge for the Indian team.
“We are definitely looking forward to doing the same things that we did in Australia: playing good cricket, believing in our abilities and giving balanced performances every time we step onto the field,” Kohli added.
The other thing that India will want to keep an eye on during the series is whether they are finding players to fill the problematic areas. The No 4 slot remains a worry as does the all-rounder position. So Kohli reckons that there could be a fair bit of experimenting but it will not be at the cost of winning.
“The main thing is not to be too desperate at this stage. There needs to be a good atmosphere in the dressing room. There needs to be a calmness and collective effort towards refining ourselves for the World Cup,” said the Indian skipper.
Kohli further added: “And if we need to try out a few players and see how they react to different situations, we are open to doing that as well. We don’t want to be too rigid because you have to be flexible in your mind and in your preparation to be competitive in a big tournament like the World Cup. So even if we back a few players in some games, the idea is to still win games.”