Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar believes that India has the ammunition to compete in New Zealand but warned the tourists that pitches get harder with the passage of time on the Kiwi land.
Virat Kohli-led Indian team has flown to New Zealand on Monday to play five T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals, and two Tests starting with the first T20I on 24 January in Auckland and Tendulkar warned the tourists to be well-prepared to counter the breeze factor there.
Ahead of the tour opening T20I on Friday, Tendulkar has shared his experience of playing in New Zealand, saying all depends on surfaces that the hosts provide for the tour.
Tendulkar told PTI, “Of late, the Tests in New Zealand have been high scoring and surfaces have changed. I remember when we played in 2009, the Hamilton pitch was different compared to other pitches. Other pitches got harder (Wellington and Napier) but not Hamilton. It remained soft.”
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The batting maestro continued, “But Napier became hard with the passage of time (where Gautam Gambhir scored an epic match-saving 12-hour hundred in 2009). So, from my first tour (in 1990 till 2009), I realized pitches got harder with passage of time.”
He was also confident that the Indian bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah has enough firepower to trouble the Black Caps in the upcoming assignment while suggesting India to go with the spinners to counter the breeze factor in New Zealand.
Tendulkar further explained, “We have a good bowling attack with quality fast bowlers as well as spinners. I believe we have the ammunition to compete in New Zealand. Wellington, I have played and it makes a huge difference if you are bowling with the wind or against the wind. The batsman needs to be judicious in the choice of which end he wants to attack, it is very important.”
He further added, “The seamers bowling against the strong breeze need to be smart. So I would prefer that if there is a strong breeze, let the spinner bowl from that end and from the opposite end, the fast bowler bowls with the breeze behind him.”
Meanwhile, the legendary batsman is also confident that Rohit Sharma will do well against the Black Caps given his white-ball experience in New Zealand.
He further added, “The challenge would be to go out and open in different conditions. I think Rohit had opened in New Zealand in ODIs and has been there quite a few times, he knows the conditions well. Eventually, Test cricket is Test cricket. But all depends on the surfaces that they provide. If they provide green tops, then it's a challenge.”
Indian will be without Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar in limited-overs series and Tendulkar signed off by saying, “Injuries are part and parcel of the game when you play and push your body to the limits. When you play for your country you need to give your best and while you give your best, you can get injured. That's okay.”
(With PTI Inputs)
