Kiwis have two-test head start over India
MUMBAI: The planners of New Zealand’s cricket itinerary for 2021 could not have done a better job. The squad is assembling in Southampton, venue of the World Test Championship final starting on June 18, more than two weeks ahead of opponents India with the first of three batches having reached on Sunday. Virat Kohli’s team, leaving for England on June 2, will also stay at the hotel within the Rose Bowl stadium. But the time India spend on quarantine, begin training and then play intrasquad practice games, New Zealand will be locked in a proper Test series, against England. The lead-up to the final thus couldn’t be more lopsided—nz battleready after two Tests in English conditions, and India looking to match them with practice sessions.
The date of the WTC final was not set when the England and Wales Cricket Board invited New
Zealand for the Test series, initially a back-up plan due to the uncertainty over the WTC final. When the England-new Zealand Test series was confirmed in January end, the finalists of the Test championship had not been decided. New Zealand were confirmed only when the Australiasouth Africa series was postponed due to the pandemic-related concerns. The way things have panned out will suit New Zealand, who last played a Test series in England in 2015.
On checking into the team hotel, all-rounder Daryl Mitchell posted a video message recorded with the ground in the background. “Obviously, it is a different trip from what is going on in the world. This is the view from the balcony, all the boys are in their rooms along the balcony; the boys are looking forward to getting out and getting stuck into training, just getting used to the conditions here… looking forward to the first Test (at Lord’s). Very lucky to be able to travel over here and be able to do what we love, and play games of cricket, so the little sacrifices (of quarantine) are worth it.”
New Zealand fast bowler, Neil Wagner, said on Monday that the Tests won’t be mere warm-up games for his team before the WTC final. But India bowling coach Bharat Arun, in a recent interview to PTI, conceded that New Zealand playing the Tests against England first would be great preparation for them.
“See, it is definitely an advantage for them...getting used to English conditions and things like that. But then we’ll have to recall (our past experience) in England...you know, bring about the experience of the players and the support staff, to make our plans, the scheduling is such that this is what it is. You have to work around that,” he said.
The importance of acclimitisation is not lost on the Indian team, but Arun and India’s fielding R Sridhar said in their interview that going in slightly less prepared could also be an advantage. “Sometimes when you’re a little under-prepared you tend to focus more and maybe that will bring the best out of us as well; so that is the kind of mindset we are going in with,” Sridhar said.
India’s last Test tour of England was in 2018, when they lost 1-4, including the game in Southampton.
One India batsman who will be fully acclimatised ahead of the final is Hanuman Vihari. In April-may, he has played three County matches for Warwickshire, and will continue to train with them till the India team arrives. English conditions in April are the toughest for batsmen, which will help Vihari, who made his Test debut at the Oval in 2018.
“Usually in April, the conditions are wet in UK and it is quite challenging; the weather is also cold. Overall, I got a good experience of the conditions. Staying here for one-and-a-half months before the Indian team comes helps me acclimatise as well, so it is a great opportunity for me to come and play a few games,” said Vihari, who has been in Birmingham since April 8.
Weather conditions in the early part of the UK summer will give the Kiwis a familiar feeling, as if playing at home. “England is similar to what New Zealand is. (And) they play well in their own conditions. It swings quite a bit here. They are used to these conditions, but again when it comes to the final it is all about how you handle the nerves. It is a one-off game and it is about how you play on those five days, taking one session at a time. It is all about how we perform as a team,” he said.
“When you play international cricket, the challenge is always there.”
Vihari’s three games were at Nottingham (April 15), at Warwickshire’s home base, Birmingham (April 22) and Chester-lestreet (April 29). His notable scores were 32 and 52 versus Essex at Birmingham. His contract was for three games but the County has allowed the batsman to use the net and gym facilities till he joins up with the national team.
In the current cycle, New Zealand are the only team to dominate India in Tests. In the two Tests played at the start of 2020, their pace bowlers shook the confidence of India’s batters, easily winning both the games. There were players who got starts but couldn’t build on it. Out of the four innings, India crossed 200 only once, in the first innings of the second Test in Christchurch.
Vihari, who top-scored in that innings with 55 off 70 balls, said: “We didn’t capitalise on the starts, now again we are in a similar situation and we know what to do.”