IND vs NZ 2017: It is Important That You Have Flexibility, Adapt Well in India – Kane Williamson

Oct 16, 2017 at 11:09 AM

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IND vs NZ 2017: It is Important That You Have Flexibility, Adapt Well in India – Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson is no stranger to the Indian conditions. The right-handed batsman has not played ample matches in India but has also done exceedingly well.

The New Zealand skipper made his Test debut in the 2010 Ahmedabad Test, scoring a sublime century and had played two more series after that. He had also featured heavily in the Indian Premier League matches, and so he knows a thing or two about the playing conditions in India.

As the Black Caps are gearing up for the three-match ODI series against India, starting October 22, Williamson said the wickets ‘vary so much within the country’ and insisted that adapting to wickets as well as climate is the key to doing well in the testing subcontinental conditions.

“The thing with the wickets over here is they vary so much within the country,” Williamson said on Sunday (October 15) in Mumbai. “So, you are required to adapt. I think from ground to ground you are never quite sure of the surface that you are going to get. And, I guess part of the adapting is the conditions and the surface but also the climate that you are in. So it is nice to be here a few days early and get guys used to the heat and the humidity.

Williamson also hoped that playing a couple of warm-up games before the series will help his side hit the ground running in the first ODI.

“A number of guys have had experiences over here which is always helpful, but saying that we still want to prepare well. These two [warm-up] games coming up are important for us and our preparation, and hopefully we will hit the ground running into the first one-day,” he said.

New Zealand had given India a run for their money when they toured the country last year before losing the series. Kane Williamson & Co. proved no match for India in the Test series but won two ODIs before losing the final game to concede the five-match series 3-2.

“Here, you play on some very, very good surfaces and you play on some of the more challenging ones that spin a lot more. In our last series, we saw glimpses of a variety of surfaces where, at times, we have seen 350, 380 and at other times we have seen the winning score being 250. Being flexible with your approach, I think, is very important. In our last series, there were those mid-200 scores; you had dew factor, you had a number of things that came into it. So, it is important that you have flexibility, adapt well,” Williamson said.

New Zealand lost the last series 3-2 (Credits: AFP)

With the spin factor set to play a key part in the series, Williamson, while admitting that facing the Indian spinners would be a tough challenge, said his teammates are looking forward to the matches.

“Spin in this part of the world is always a key factor, one that you know you have to come up against the majority of the overs. We know it would be a tough challenge, but one the guys are looking forward to. There aren’t too many chinaman bowlers going around, saying that there is a few more that have come into the sport and they have all been fairly successful. Obviously, their skill-sets are very good but also adapting to the surface, like I mentioned earlier, will be one of the most important things,” he mentioned.

New Zealand have their task cut out against India’s in-form spin duo (Credits: AP)

Williamson also had a word of praise for Hardik Pandya who has come a long way since making his ODI debut against the Black Caps last year.

Pandya made his ODI debut last year against New Zealand (Credits: BCCI)

“Certainly in the last year or two, he’s been playing outstandingly well. We saw in the IPL and even in the series against us, he bowled very well. Now, we are seeing him coming along with the bat and making contributions that any team will be pretty happy they have from their allrounder. He’s a very vital player for the Indian side in terms of that fast bowling all-rounder that, I suppose, in these conditions that accommodates the spinners so much but to have someone that is the fast bowling allrounder that bowls good pace and hits it out of the park is always exciting to have,” said Williamson.

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