Following their recent ODI series, New Zealand and India are once more locked in a tight battle this February 21st as they face again in a two-match Test series. New Zealand claimed an easy win against Virat Kohli’s squad in their previous series.
Shardul Thakur had interesting comments on Ross Taylor, who was crucial in the team’s sweep in the recent ODI series. New Zealand won by five wickets in their third and final ODI match.
‘Ross is batting really well. He can play like God on the leg side once he is in’, said Thakur. ‘In the last two ODIs, there were chances of us dismissing him, but we did not grab our chances. It is important to send him back early in the innings’
True enough, the conditions of the country were tough on the Men in Blue as well. They had a lot of chances but they could not capitalise and play well on New Zealand’s ground. Thakur said that it was new to him, and he was really surprised by the feeling.
‘It is very difficult because you don’t get to play on grounds like this every day. That’s why they say New Zealand is a difficult country to play cricket in’, said Thakur. ‘I feel that when you practice in the nets you have to practice in the manner in which you are going to bowl the next day
New Zealand’s defence always has been a thorn to India’s offensive strategy. The Men in Blue went down on the first game after losing it by four wickets, then dropped the second one by 22 runs. They just couldn’t figure out the pattern in battling New Zealand.
When you play international cricket, every game matters for every player’, Thakur said in an interview before their loss in the third ODI. ‘When you are 2-0 down, you can express yourself even more – our skills, our variations in bowling. Batsmen can play their shots, can execute shots and express themselves. That’s how we will approach it’
India will surely want to get a piece of New Zealand, but they will have to adapt on the ground if they are to win in the upcoming series. The Test series has two matches, which means that winning the first match is already important for the team
