The five-game ODI series between New Zealand and India will begin on Nov 4 in Auckland.
All the focus for the ODI series is on star Indian batters Rohit and Kohli, who are coming off good performances in the West Indies series at home, as both scored one century each. Kohli made 168 runs in 3 games with the highest score of 139*, while Rohit made 225 runs with the highest score of 101.
Santner lauded Kohli and Rohit for continuing to deliver strong performances despite being in the late stages of their careers.
"We've had some really good crowds throughout the T20 series, and I expect that to continue with Rohit and Virat here. We know how good they are. Although they are getting on in their careers, they are still playing very well, as we saw in the recent series against the West Indies," Santner stated in a press conference before the first ODI in Auckland.
In order to counter India's fearsome batting lineup, the captain of New Zealand disclosed that his squad has already discussed its bowling strategies. He emphasized the significance of keeping pressure on the Indian batters for extended periods of time and adjusting to home conditions, especially when the pitches help the bowlers.
"I've watched them play for a long time, including Rohit in the IPL. We've obviously sat down as a bowling group and discussed what India's batting line-up looks like and how we need to operate in New Zealand. We know how to bowl on these pitches, but the challenge is understanding what to do when the conditions offer some assistance to the bowlers," he added.
"I think if we can get into their top order, particularly with Shubman Gill, who has been outstanding over the last five years, we can put ourselves in a good position. In one-day cricket, it's about bowling good deliveries consistently and building pressure over a period of time. If the pitch offers more assistance than it did the other night, the key will be to maintain that pressure for a longer period and keep challenging the batters," he concluded.
New Zealand came back strong in the five-T20I series, winning the last two games, despite India winning the series 3-2. The five-match ODI series in Auckland on November 4. The second in Wellington on November 7, the third in Hamilton on November 10, and the fourth and fifth in Mount Maunganui on November 13 and 15.
(ANI inputs)