Abhishek Sharma and Mitchell Santner (Image credit: Agencies)
If we can restrict India to around 200 in New Zealand, that might be a good score, considering the power they possess,” he added.
You have to plan accordingly, assess the conditions and use them to your advantage,” Santner said. But if the pitch is flat, then we might have to create pressure, by using the bigger boundaries and finding different ways of taking wickets,” he said. New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits his side against India’s explosive top order. With the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson capable of dismantling bowling attacks from the outset, Santner knows the Black Caps will need more than discipline to keep the visitors in check. As New Zealand prepare for the five-match T20I series, the left-arm spinner is hoping the early-season conditions offer some assistance, while stressing the need for his bowlers to adapt quickly and stay in the contest even when the boundaries begin to flow. “ They pack power all the way through and come out with a lot of aggression. As a bowler, you know there aren’t going to be too many dot balls. The New Zealand captain acknowledged that boundaries would inevitably come against such an aggressive opposition, but stressed that bowlers must focus on the deliveries between them. “Even if you get hit for boundaries, it is about what happens with the balls in between. Those could be wicket-taking deliveries or dot balls. “If the ball moves, we need to use that to counter their explosive batting. Santner also acknowledged the threat posed by young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Having seen the teenager’s exploits in the IPL, the New Zealand captain expects India’s power-hitters to test his bowlers from the outset.
India might have a point to prove, but our job is to play what is in front of us and beat a very good team at home,” he said. “You never like losing a series at home. The more you play in places like India, the better equipped you become to handle the conditions.