New Zealand arrive in India after facing spells of quality pace bowling in South Africa. The pace-friendly Protean tracks stand in sharp contrast to the slow, dry spinning pitches that will be rolled out for them during the three Tests and five one-day internationals here.
The fact is not lost on the Black Caps' young captain Kane Williamson, who backed his spin attack, and their knowledge of playing in the country during the World T20 and Indian Premier League to overcome the challenge.
New Zealand, who are yet to win a Test series in India, landed here on Monday with the first Test beginning in Kanpur on September 22. The team is coming after touring Zimbabwe and more recently South Africa. They are carrying three spinners in Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi, who were hugely impressive during the World T20, and Mark Craig. Williamson places lot of trust on them.
"In the previous series here, certainly spin played a huge part. Spin from both teams will play a big part. We have three very good spinners as well. India in their home conditions is one of the toughest challenges in the game particularly in the Test format," Williamson told reporters on Tuesday.
"The team is excited to get involved and look to adapt, having come from South Africa and Zimbabwe where the conditions were quite different. The pitches have been very tricky and you throw in world-class spinners, the challenge is very tough."
Willamson admitted the experience of playing in the IPL would come handy to them, despite Tests being a completely different format. "Those conditions are something we can draw from a little bit to try and help preparation in the series.
He also held his counterpart Virat Kohli in great regard. "Virat's ability to dominate all three formats is something very special, and certainly something that I admire. I love watching him play."
Coach Mike Hesson felt the team would benefit from their experience of playing in Zimbabwe which had similar conditions. "We spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe in Bulawayo before South Africa, that was very much a spin-dominated series and conditions. Although it didnt spin much, certainly it was slow and probably similar pace that we are going to face in India."
The form of opener Martin Guptil in Tests has been a matter of concern this year but Williamson said: "Martin has been working very hard. We all know that he is a world-class cricketer."
Adaptability would be the key for Black Caps whether it is the pitches, conditions or even the ball and Hesson admitted that. "The challenge for us is firstly adjusting to the different ball. The SG balls can be different to what we have been operating with, the Kookaburra. There is a little bit change around seam angles which are different over here than they are in different parts of the world.
"Even though were not going to bowl like sub-continent bowlers, we do have to make sure we find ways to create opportunities. Mark Craig, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are keen learners of the game and certainly were going to put a lot of faith in them in the coming weeks."
On the dry wickets, reverse swing is one exponent New Zealand would be looking to explore.
"Weve already spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe where we got the ball to reverse. On surfaces that arent responsive in terms of seam movement, and they are abrasive and they lose shine very quickly, you need to find another way. Hence overseas teams are very keen to find ways to get the ball reverse, obviously in legitimate fashion," Hesson said.
![]( "Kane Williamson. PTI file photo")
New Zealand arrive in India after facing spells of quality pace bowling in South Africa. The pace-friendly Protean tracks stand in sharp contrast to the slow, dry spinning pitches that will be rolled out for them during the three Tests and five one-day internationals here.
The fact is not lost on the Black Caps’ young captain Kane Williamson, who backed his spin attack, and their knowledge of playing in the country during the World T20 and Indian Premier League to overcome the challenge.
New Zealand, who are yet to win a Test series in India, landed here on Monday with the first Test beginning in Kanpur on September 22. The team is coming after touring Zimbabwe and more recently South Africa. They are carrying three spinners in Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi, who were hugely impressive during the World T20, and Mark Craig. Williamson places lot of trust on them.
"In the previous series here, certainly spin played a huge part. Spin from both teams will play a big part. We have three very good spinners as well. India in their home conditions is one of the toughest challenges in the game particularly in the Test format,” Williamson told reporters on Tuesday.
"The team is excited to get involved and look to adapt, having come from South Africa and Zimbabwe where the conditions were quite different. The pitches have been very tricky and you throw in world-class spinners, the challenge is very tough.”
Willamson admitted the experience of playing in the IPL would come handy to them, despite Tests being a completely different format. "Those conditions are something we can draw from a little bit to try and help preparation in the series.
He also held his counterpart Virat Kohli in great regard. "Virat’s ability to dominate all three formats is something very special, and certainly something that I admire. I love watching him play.”
Coach Mike Hesson felt the team would benefit from their experience of playing in Zimbabwe which had similar conditions. "We spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe in Bulawayo before South Africa, that was very much a spin-dominated series and conditions. Although it didn't spin much, certainly it was slow and probably similar pace that we are going to face in India.”
The form of opener Martin Guptil in Tests has been a matter of concern this year but Williamson said: "Martin has been working very hard. We all know that he is a world-class cricketer.”
Adaptability would be the key for Black Caps whether it is the pitches, conditions or even the ball and Hesson admitted that. "The challenge for us is firstly adjusting to the different ball. The SG balls can be different to what we have been operating with, the Kookaburra. There is a little bit change around seam angles which are different over here than they are in different parts of the world.
"Even though we're not going to bowl like sub-continent bowlers, we do have to make sure we find ways to create opportunities. Mark Craig, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are keen learners of the game and certainly we're going to put a lot of faith in them in the coming weeks.”
On the dry wickets, reverse swing is one exponent New Zealand would be looking to explore.
"We've already spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe where we got the ball to reverse. On surfaces that aren't responsive in terms of seam movement, and they are abrasive and they lose shine very quickly, you need to find another way. Hence overseas teams are very keen to find ways to get the ball reverse, obviously in legitimate fashion,” Hesson said.
The fact is not lost on the Black Caps' young captain Kane Williamson, who backed his spin attack, and their knowledge of playing in the country during the World T20 and Indian Premier League to overcome the challenge.
New Zealand, who are yet to win a Test series in India, landed here on Monday with the first Test beginning in Kanpur on September 22. The team is coming after touring Zimbabwe and more recently South Africa. They are carrying three spinners in Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi, who were hugely impressive during the World T20, and Mark Craig. Williamson places lot of trust on them.
"In the previous series here, certainly spin played a huge part. Spin from both teams will play a big part. We have three very good spinners as well. India in their home conditions is one of the toughest challenges in the game particularly in the Test format," Williamson told reporters on Tuesday.
"The team is excited to get involved and look to adapt, having come from South Africa and Zimbabwe where the conditions were quite different. The pitches have been very tricky and you throw in world-class spinners, the challenge is very tough."
Willamson admitted the experience of playing in the IPL would come handy to them, despite Tests being a completely different format. "Those conditions are something we can draw from a little bit to try and help preparation in the series.
He also held his counterpart Virat Kohli in great regard. "Virat's ability to dominate all three formats is something very special, and certainly something that I admire. I love watching him play."
Coach Mike Hesson felt the team would benefit from their experience of playing in Zimbabwe which had similar conditions. "We spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe in Bulawayo before South Africa, that was very much a spin-dominated series and conditions. Although it didnt spin much, certainly it was slow and probably similar pace that we are going to face in India."
The form of opener Martin Guptil in Tests has been a matter of concern this year but Williamson said: "Martin has been working very hard. We all know that he is a world-class cricketer."
Adaptability would be the key for Black Caps whether it is the pitches, conditions or even the ball and Hesson admitted that. "The challenge for us is firstly adjusting to the different ball. The SG balls can be different to what we have been operating with, the Kookaburra. There is a little bit change around seam angles which are different over here than they are in different parts of the world.
"Even though were not going to bowl like sub-continent bowlers, we do have to make sure we find ways to create opportunities. Mark Craig, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are keen learners of the game and certainly were going to put a lot of faith in them in the coming weeks."
On the dry wickets, reverse swing is one exponent New Zealand would be looking to explore.
"Weve already spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe where we got the ball to reverse. On surfaces that arent responsive in terms of seam movement, and they are abrasive and they lose shine very quickly, you need to find another way. Hence overseas teams are very keen to find ways to get the ball reverse, obviously in legitimate fashion," Hesson said.
New Zealand arrive in India after facing spells of quality pace bowling in South Africa. The pace-friendly Protean tracks stand in sharp contrast to the slow, dry spinning pitches that will be rolled out for them during the three Tests and five one-day internationals here. The fact is not lost on the Black Caps’ young captain Kane Williamson, who backed his spin attack, and their knowledge of playing in the country during the World T20 and Indian Premier League to overcome the challenge.
New Zealand, who are yet to win a Test series in India, landed here on Monday with the first Test beginning in Kanpur on September 22. The team is coming after touring Zimbabwe and more recently South Africa. They are carrying three spinners in Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi, who were hugely impressive during the World T20, and Mark Craig. Williamson places lot of trust on them.
"In the previous series here, certainly spin played a huge part. Spin from both teams will play a big part. We have three very good spinners as well. India in their home conditions is one of the toughest challenges in the game particularly in the Test format,” Williamson told reporters on Tuesday.
"The team is excited to get involved and look to adapt, having come from South Africa and Zimbabwe where the conditions were quite different. The pitches have been very tricky and you throw in world-class spinners, the challenge is very tough.”
Willamson admitted the experience of playing in the IPL would come handy to them, despite Tests being a completely different format. "Those conditions are something we can draw from a little bit to try and help preparation in the series.
He also held his counterpart Virat Kohli in great regard. "Virat’s ability to dominate all three formats is something very special, and certainly something that I admire. I love watching him play.”
Coach Mike Hesson felt the team would benefit from their experience of playing in Zimbabwe which had similar conditions. "We spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe in Bulawayo before South Africa, that was very much a spin-dominated series and conditions. Although it didn't spin much, certainly it was slow and probably similar pace that we are going to face in India.”
The form of opener Martin Guptil in Tests has been a matter of concern this year but Williamson said: "Martin has been working very hard. We all know that he is a world-class cricketer.”
Adaptability would be the key for Black Caps whether it is the pitches, conditions or even the ball and Hesson admitted that. "The challenge for us is firstly adjusting to the different ball. The SG balls can be different to what we have been operating with, the Kookaburra. There is a little bit change around seam angles which are different over here than they are in different parts of the world.
"Even though we're not going to bowl like sub-continent bowlers, we do have to make sure we find ways to create opportunities. Mark Craig, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are keen learners of the game and certainly we're going to put a lot of faith in them in the coming weeks.”
On the dry wickets, reverse swing is one exponent New Zealand would be looking to explore.
"We've already spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe where we got the ball to reverse. On surfaces that aren't responsive in terms of seam movement, and they are abrasive and they lose shine very quickly, you need to find another way. Hence overseas teams are very keen to find ways to get the ball reverse, obviously in legitimate fashion,” Hesson said.