IND vs NZ 1st Test – New Zealand Playing XI: World Test Champions New Zealand has never won a test series against India. Leave aside the series, the Kiwi team has not even won a single test against India since 1988. But New Zealand coach Gary Stead believes all that can change this time & Kane Williamson led squad has a winning formula for the same i.e to play 3 spinners in Kanpur – Follow IND vs NZ 1st Test LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN
IND vs NZ 1st Test: New Zealand’s winning formula for Kanpur test, ‘we are likely to play 3 spinners’ says Coach Stead
New Zealand Playing XI: New Zealand coach Gary Stead has hinted that if the conditions demand, the visiting side may field three specialist spinners against India in the first Test. Stead also feels that their two-Test series against India won’t feature the kind of tracks that England got in Ahmedabad during their series against Virat Kohli’s men.
– Since their first tour in 1955, BlackCaps have never won a Test series in India. New Zealand has also not won a test in India since 1988.
– Out of 34 Tests, the Kiwis have managed to win only 2 Test matches on Indian soil while 16 have ended in a draw.
– In the last two series — in 2016 and 2012 — they have lost all the matches.
“You have to look and realise how teams come here often and don’t win. That’s the enormity of obvious challenge,”
“The traditional way of playing four seamers and one part-time spinner can’t be the way to go over here. You may see three spinners playing in this game and that will be decided once we have a look at the surface,” Stead said while making it clear that Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel looks like a sure-shot starter.
What part of the Indian Test Tour is @AjazP looking forward to the most? 🏏#INDvNZ #CricketNation #Cricket pic.twitter.com/UZTQ3X0Qpd
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 23, 2021
New Zealand ready to break India jinx, check how?
IND vs NZ 1st Test – New Zealand Playing XI Stead said while basic tenets of Test cricket is the same, the approach has to change depending on conditions. “From our perspective, we have to change the way we play but also sticking to some of the key principles of Test cricket. We will try to be competitive for long long periods of time.”
Asked if he would speak to the groundsmen considering what happened during the last home Tests that India played against England, the coach cheekily replied: “I don’t think I really get to have a say in that.”
On a serious note, he said that England series was a different ball game due to multiple Test matches at the same venue. “Look, there’s no doubt those were challenging conditions but difference is that we have two Tests at two different venues and they (England) were playing multiple Tests at the same ground (two in Chennai and two in Ahmedabad).
“We know there will be differences as in Kanpur you will have black clay and in Wankhede, you will have red clay. These are certain adaptations that we have to make,” the coach explained.
