The Indian squad for the 3-match Test series against New Zealand has been announced. The selectors have decided to go in with the tried and trusted combination and have retained 15 of the 17 players which toured West Indies.
The stage has now been set for what promises to be an intriguing contest. New Zealand will believe that they too have the players which have the potential to spring a surprise on their day, and hence the hosts will have to guard against complacency.
Also, right through the series, the pitches will be put under the scrutiny, and this is where the difference between the teams can be deciphered.
The Kiwis too have named a squad which has all bases covered, and thus the series promises to be a cracking affair.
Here in this list, we take a look at 5 reasons why New Zealand can harbour hopes of upstaging India in the upcoming series.
#5 Team balance
New Zealand have always been blessed with quality all-rounders, and this squad is no different. In Mitchell Santner and Jimmy Neesham, they have two players who can flourish on most days. While Neesham is a seam-bowling all-rounder, Santner provides variety with his slow left-arm option.
Apart from this, they also have bowlers who can extract assistance from even dead pitches, and batsmen who have the ability to dig and churn out scores. In Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham, the visitors have got a lot of depth in their batting.
While Trent Boult and Tim Southee can examine the technique of the batsmen with their seam and swing, Neil Wagner has the ability to hustle the batsmen with pace.
The squad has almost all bases covered and there is no reason why they cannot outsmart the Indians.
#4 Close catching/Fielding
Even when New Zealand did not have world beaters in their team, they always prided themselves on their fielding. This legacy has been passed on and now the team is replete with players who can turn any game by the freakish abilities on the field.
Close catching becomes paramount in Test matches, and this is where the Kiwis are brilliant. Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill, Jimmy Neesham and Kane Williamson patrol the slip and gully cordon and are dazzling in what they do.
The out fielding is also no pushover and even their fast bowlers are genuine athletes who are superb across the turf. In this day and age, fielding is an absolute must, and no team can hide of they have mediocre fielders.
#3 Batsmen who can bat long
This series will also see a contest within a contest, as Virat Kohli will be up against Kane Williamson. Both are the most prolific batsmen of their team and are also leaders. Hence, their form will set a tone in this series.
Williamson has been in sparkling form for quite some time now, and it is an open secret that his performance at number 3 will go a long way in determining the context of the match. Also, he has displayed good tight technique against the spinners and also has nifty footwork. These traits will come in handy against the guile of the Indian spinners. He can bat for long periods, and this is a great virtue to have in Test cricket, more so in Indian sub-continent.
Along with Williamson, there is a someone named Ross Taylor who has the experience and the game to combat any bowling attack, and his solidity will be required in the middle order. He also the strokes to launch a counter-attack if the need may be.
#2 Captain Kane
Brendon McCullum was all about bravado and ultra aggression, and he certainly did transform the complexion of the team. Thus, when the baton passed on to Kane Williamson, there were concerns as to how the team will adapt to the new skipper.
Kane is cheese to Brendon's chalk, and yet he has forged a very tight unit around him. Also, he has given enough glimpses of his ability as a reader of the game and a tactician during the World T20 which was played in India on sluggish and turning tracks when he devised impressive ways to lead his team into the semi-finals.
While he may not be as brash as Brendon, he knows what he is doing and quietly goes about his business. He is an extremely affable guy who plays for his team and thus the team responds beautifully to its captain.
#1 Spin threat
The pitches for this series are expected to be tilted heavily in favour of the spinners. In such a scenario the spin contingent of New Zealand will also fancy their chances of bowling their team to a win.
The visitors have variety in their ranks, in Mark Craig, they have a genuine off-spinner, Mitchell Santner is the left-arm orthodox option and Ish Sodhi is the leg-spinner which makes him an attacking option.
And they did display their worth during the World T20 match against India on a raging turner in Nagpur when they sliced through the much fancied Indian batting line-up. While the sample size might be not so big, it certainly gave India enough reasons not to take them lightly come the Test matches.
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