Black Caps bank on turn for the better

Spin is in as New Zealand venture up the Eden Gardens path

If you thought New Zealand’s ploy of playing three spinners in the first cricket test loss to India in Kanpur was a one-off, best hold all tickets. It’s very much in their thinking for the second test starting at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Friday, but clearly with one alteration in personnel.

Offspinner Mark Craig is on his way home after injuring his side in the 197-run loss at Kanpur and has been replaced by the veteran Jeetan Patel.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson isn’t ruling out handing Patel a first test in three years, alongside leftarmer Mitchell Santner and legspinner Ish Sodhi.

Much will depend on the state of the Eden Gardens pitch. Hesson anticipated the pitch at the iconic stadium will break up and the mercury will be high. But the coach understandably wouldn’t commit until he and captain Kane Williamson have had a good look at the strip.

“It’s far too early to suggest that, but I don’t imagine it’s going to be significantly different to what we had in Kanpur,” Hesson said.

“It’s going to be hot and humid again. The pitch will obviously deteriorate pretty quickly. We were there for the T20 World Cup (this year) and it was low and slow and did turn a reasonable amount.”

In that match, New Zealand made 145 for eight, then rolled Bangladesh for 70, Sodhi and slow-medium Grant Elliott taking three cheap wickets each.

Hesson hopes Patel, 36 and coming off a good season with Warwickshire, will offer wisdom to his younger tweakers, Santner and Sodhi.

“We wanted another offspinner in the group, with the footholds likely to be provided in Kolkata.”

Among the most significant lessons for Santner and Sodhi out of Kanpur was watching the speed at which the classy Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja bowled, in sharing 16 of the 20 New Zealand wickets. They don’t mess about striving for flight and guile. The worn pitch is there for a reason.

“What we do in New Zealand, as the wickets don’t turn, we provide a lot more flight and try and beat batsmen in the air.

“Here they don’t even contemplate that. They just try and beat you off the wicket, they obviously bowl a lot quicker and therefore there’s less time to react.

“And if you can’t score runs, they generate pressure by putting more men around the bat.”

Santner had some of his most effective moments at Kanpur when he darted the ball in slightly faster, letting the pitch come into play.

As for the elephant in the New Zealand room, the wise money would be on opener Martin Guptill retaining his place, despite his poor run extending in Kanpur.

His average in 18 test innings in Asia is 19.55 and slipping. Hesson was cautious on whether it was time for a change.

“That’s a decision we’ll keep (making) every time we pick a test team,” he said of whether Guptill would stay.

“It’s a tough place to play over here, also a very tough place to start. It’s not a question I can give you a definitive answer on.

“He’s struggling a bit. But he’s in a good frame of mind and it’s important we keep him that way.”

Which sounds a clear indication of no change. If there’s no change in the productivity in Kolkata, there may be well for the third test at Indore.