 "Kiwi caution")
By now, we know that New Zealand is a "young team". During the handful number of times they've addressed the press after their arrival to India, captain Kane Williamson and coach Mike Hesson have made it amply clear that at the heart of this Kiwi side lie not seasoned world-beaters but a bunch of uncelebrated rookies blessed with gargantuan potential.
For any team, a tour to India brings with it the usual elements of perturbedness: the stifling weather, the ridiculously partisan crowds, and, of course, the egregious, spin-friendly pitches. But more worryingly for India, any "young touring team" is characterised by two dangerous traits: unpredictability and fearlessness. And, the Indians would be stupid to assume that this New Zealand side would offer anything much different.
Against South Africa in Centurion last month, the Kiwis' youthful exuberance was ruthlessly exposed: the batting meekly capitulated against the machine gun-like bowling of Dale Steyn, and the bowling was haplessly pummelled by Francois du Plessis and the baby-faced assassin Quinton de Kock. The outcome was a 204-run defeat - and this was a Proteas side without AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel.
But amid the ruins were positives that have unfailingly tormented India in the past. Williamson sparkled with routine ease, egged on by his trusted combination of grit and flair. And, Tim Southee and Trent Boult bowled with menacing verve in the second innings after being taken to the cleaners in the first.
Former Indian opening batsman and coach Anshuman Gaekwad feels that the visitors have weapons that can hurt India. "They may be inexperienced but a lot of them have played in India before. Moreover, they have dangerous players," he says.
In their opening game in the World T20 earlier this year, in Nagpur, India paid dearly for underestimating the Kiwis. In the end, what was supposed to be a glittering exhibition of India's batting muscle turned out to be a show that was hijacked by the unheralded spin troika of Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum. Chasing a paltry 127, India folded up for an embarrassing 79. The Indian batsmen were harassed, strangled and then skillfully executed. After a point in that game, the gallows seemed imminent.
Replacing McCullum in the Test side is Mark Craig, a wily off-spinner from Otago whose career threatened to dissipate at one time due to a chronic fatigue syndrome. The 29-year-old Craig offers much-needed variety to the Kiwi spin attack, capably backing up the left-arm spin of Santner and the leg spin of Sodhi.
There is no questioning that Virat Kohli loves to win - and much to India's elation, that's exactly what he's been doing in the last year. The sprightly way in which he has taken to Test captaincy is stellar testament to his powers of malleability. He still remains brash and occasionally capricious, but the winning mentality that he has brought to this team has been remarkable. Under Kohli, India has won Test series against South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies - the latter two coming away from home.
"The beauty of Kohli is his ability to do everything right in all three formats. He is the complete player. He makes India so good," says Nayan Mongia, former India wicket-keeper.
Despite the somewhat middling opposition that the West Indies posed, India flourished with both and bat in alien conditions in the Caribbean. The spin attack, so ably led by Ravichandran Ashwin, bowled with venom; the pacers went at the Windies with guile and mild hostility - Bhuvneshwar Kumar's five-for in the third Test at St Lucia being the standout performance. And, the batting - in spite of sizzling only sporadically - was sturdy.
"There are areas that still need work. Kohli is yet to figure out his first-choice fast bowlers. He has been following a horses for courses policy, which isn't totally wrong. But sometimes you need a settled combination," says a former Indian captain. "More importantly, the batting order needs some sorting out."
Kohli and coach Anil Kumble's quest for a cinched batting line-up has been obliterated by a couple of batsmen being woefully out of form. Cheteshwar Pujara was played for a couple of matches in the Caribbean and then dumped. Rohit Sharma was drafted into the team for the third match but rarely looked convincing. And, Shikhar Dhawan's patchy run at the top of the order is hardly surprising - he has made an annoying habit of scoring big in one innings and then staying on in the team based on that one knock. The fact that his languid technique outside the off-stump fails to match up to quality fast bowling just accentuates the problem.
Even as the hosts look much stronger on paper, India vs New Zealand, in some ways, is a delectable battle of equals - for here are two young Test captains still trying to fully impose their philosophies on their respective teams. This series - starting September 22 - is likely to be critical stop in both teams' transition process.
For any team, a tour to India brings with it the usual elements of perturbedness: the stifling weather, the ridiculously partisan crowds, and, of course, the egregious, spin-friendly pitches. But more worryingly for India, any "young touring team" is characterised by two dangerous traits: unpredictability and fearlessness. And, the Indians would be stupid to assume that this New Zealand side would offer anything much different.
Against South Africa in Centurion last month, the Kiwis' youthful exuberance was ruthlessly exposed: the batting meekly capitulated against the machine gun-like bowling of Dale Steyn, and the bowling was haplessly pummelled by Francois du Plessis and the baby-faced assassin Quinton de Kock. The outcome was a 204-run defeat - and this was a Proteas side without AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel.
But amid the ruins were positives that have unfailingly tormented India in the past. Williamson sparkled with routine ease, egged on by his trusted combination of grit and flair. And, Tim Southee and Trent Boult bowled with menacing verve in the second innings after being taken to the cleaners in the first.
Former Indian opening batsman and coach Anshuman Gaekwad feels that the visitors have weapons that can hurt India. "They may be inexperienced but a lot of them have played in India before. Moreover, they have dangerous players," he says.
In their opening game in the World T20 earlier this year, in Nagpur, India paid dearly for underestimating the Kiwis. In the end, what was supposed to be a glittering exhibition of India's batting muscle turned out to be a show that was hijacked by the unheralded spin troika of Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum. Chasing a paltry 127, India folded up for an embarrassing 79. The Indian batsmen were harassed, strangled and then skillfully executed. After a point in that game, the gallows seemed imminent.
New Zealand were beaten handsomely by South Africa in Centurion last month, going on to lose the two-match series 0-1
"A lot will depend on how the Kiwi spinners perform. They can come in handy on Indian pitches," says former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly. "The contest will be decided in the spin department."Replacing McCullum in the Test side is Mark Craig, a wily off-spinner from Otago whose career threatened to dissipate at one time due to a chronic fatigue syndrome. The 29-year-old Craig offers much-needed variety to the Kiwi spin attack, capably backing up the left-arm spin of Santner and the leg spin of Sodhi.
There is no questioning that Virat Kohli loves to win - and much to India's elation, that's exactly what he's been doing in the last year. The sprightly way in which he has taken to Test captaincy is stellar testament to his powers of malleability. He still remains brash and occasionally capricious, but the winning mentality that he has brought to this team has been remarkable. Under Kohli, India has won Test series against South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies - the latter two coming away from home.
| HOW THEY MATCH UP |
| Bowling Against South Africa last year, India rolled out pitches that were akin to spitting cobras - the ball spun square right from day one. Ashwin (below) and Jadeja ran through the Proteas on several occasions, ensuring a 3-0 series win for the hosts. But unlike South Africa - who relied heavily on Imran Tahir - New Zealand have three quality spinners of their own. Facing up to Santner (right), Sodhi and Craig will be tough, if not overly daunting. Kohli, on the other hand, will be tempted to go in with three spinners. Fielding A few years ago, it was unthinkable of India and New Zealand being on an even keel in the fielding stakes. But with a bunch of spry athletes now a part of the team, India has closed that gap. In a series where spin will have a telling impact, close-in catching will be key. India grasped a few against the Windies — such mistakes will be hard to accept this time around. Batting The emergence of K L Rahul comes at a time when Pujara, Sharma and Dhawan are all struggling to cement their place in the team. A fully-fit Murali Vijay seems like an automatic choice for the opening slot. Pujara’s storming back into form in the Duleep Trophy is likely to see him regain the number three position in the batting line-up. For the Kiwis, they must ensure they do not over-rely on Williamson (below) and Martin Guptill. |
"The beauty of Kohli is his ability to do everything right in all three formats. He is the complete player. He makes India so good," says Nayan Mongia, former India wicket-keeper.
Despite the somewhat middling opposition that the West Indies posed, India flourished with both and bat in alien conditions in the Caribbean. The spin attack, so ably led by Ravichandran Ashwin, bowled with venom; the pacers went at the Windies with guile and mild hostility - Bhuvneshwar Kumar's five-for in the third Test at St Lucia being the standout performance. And, the batting - in spite of sizzling only sporadically - was sturdy.
"There are areas that still need work. Kohli is yet to figure out his first-choice fast bowlers. He has been following a horses for courses policy, which isn't totally wrong. But sometimes you need a settled combination," says a former Indian captain. "More importantly, the batting order needs some sorting out."
Kohli and coach Anil Kumble's quest for a cinched batting line-up has been obliterated by a couple of batsmen being woefully out of form. Cheteshwar Pujara was played for a couple of matches in the Caribbean and then dumped. Rohit Sharma was drafted into the team for the third match but rarely looked convincing. And, Shikhar Dhawan's patchy run at the top of the order is hardly surprising - he has made an annoying habit of scoring big in one innings and then staying on in the team based on that one knock. The fact that his languid technique outside the off-stump fails to match up to quality fast bowling just accentuates the problem.
Even as the hosts look much stronger on paper, India vs New Zealand, in some ways, is a delectable battle of equals - for here are two young Test captains still trying to fully impose their philosophies on their respective teams. This series - starting September 22 - is likely to be critical stop in both teams' transition process.