Santner expects Bhuvneshwar to exploit movement in New Zealand

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be a significant threat in New Zealand, particularly with the new ball likely to offer more movement than it did during India’s recent series against West Indies.

“Bhuvi will love these conditions in New Zealand. Even on flat pitches in India, he has managed to nip the ball and generate swing. With the new ball here, he will be a serious challenge,” Santner said on the eve of the series opener.

Santner also pointed to how difficult chasing has become in India, with West Indies successfully pursuing a target of 250 in the recent series. He believes bowlers may find conditions in New Zealand slightly more favorable.

India captain Shreyas Iyer said Bhuvneshwar’s return to the T20I side would add valuable experience to the team’s pace attack.

“Bhuvi brings a lot of experience, which was something we lacked, particularly after the IPL when we had several new bowlers in the squad. His success over the past two years, including winning the IPL, shows that he knows how to make an impact in this format,” Iyer said.

New Zealand are also mindful of India’s batting strength. The sides last met in the T20 World Cup final in March, when half-centuries by Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan powered India to 255 and a 96-run victory. India can also call on the precocious talent of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

“Sooryavanshi did not play in the recent series against West Indies, but I have seen firsthand how good he is in the IPL,” Santner said. “India have tremendous power at the top, and Sanju and Abhishek have been in outstanding form. We know how dangerous Sooryavanshi can be, even if he does not play in this series.”

“He has an important role to play for India, now or in the future. If he is selected for this series, we have already seen how difficult he is to contain. England tried attacking him aggressively in their recent series, but the IPL has shown how destructive he can be. If he plays, we have plans for him,” Santner added.

Santner on Sooryavanshi: ‘We’ve got some plans for him if he happens to play’•BCCI

Santner expects a range of conditions across the five-match T20I series and believes the large outfield at Hagley Oval could provide New Zealand’s bowlers with some relief.

“First things first, both teams will need to assess the conditions. If there is movement in the pitch, it becomes harder for either side to attack relentlessly. But India have shown that when the surface is flat and true, they are extremely difficult to stop,” he said.

“The larger boundaries here are favorable to bowlers, but if the pitch offers little assistance, we will need to find ways of slowing India down. We know how dangerous they can be when the boundaries are small.”

“If the seamers find something early, that will obviously help. However, not every venue across the country will offer green pitches or sustained movement. Both teams will need to adapt quickly and then play according to the conditions.”

Santner is also conscious of the challenge facing him as a left-arm spinner against an Indian batting lineup containing several left-handers.

“It is challenging. There is always something for a spinner in New Zealand, even if it is not always in your favor. You can get some bounce, and the larger square boundaries at Hagley Oval can be used to your advantage,” he said.

“There may be less scope for spinning the ball sharply into the gaps and hoping for wickets. The focus could instead be on bowling intelligently, controlling the strike rate and building pressure through dots and singles.”

“The conditions will change as we move around the country. Wellington has short square boundaries and longer straight boundaries, while Hamilton and Eden Park are smaller grounds. Throughout the series, both I and the wider bowling unit will need to adjust our plans to the venues and the surfaces.”

Source link