A team with a plan: New Zealand have proved to be tough opponents in Indian conditions

For a team that defeated the world champions Australia 4-1 in a five-match series, for a team that’s lost only two of their last 13 ODIs, a three-match series against New Zealand (even though they are ranked 5th in the world) should not be a daunting task, right?

Well, not exactly.

If Virat Kohli and Co were expecting a routine series against the Black Caps, recent evidence should have shown otherwise and the events at Wankhede were just a reaffirmation of the fact that this New Zealand side will give a good fight in Indian conditions.

Indeed, if India are to avoid their first ever ODI series defeat against the Black Caps on home soil, they have their task cut out.

World T20 2016

In the opening match of the marquee T20 event that India had prepared so meticulously for, playing a whole bunch of T20Is in the lead up, New Zealand were expected to be stepping stones. Instead, on a turning track in Nagpur, the Kiwis pulled off a stunning coup by defeating the tournament favourites. Scratch that. They didn’t just defeat India, they pummelled India at their own game.

Reading the conditions perfectly, Kane Williamson played three frontline spinners in Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum – a ploy that played rich dividends as they emerged winners by 47 runs, bowling out India for 79. Santner was particularly impressive, picking up four wickets while Sodhi proved a handful with his wrist spin.

Talk about throwing a spanner in the works.

Not many gave New Zealand a chance in that match, just as in the tournament. And just as they did in Nagpur, they surprised one and all by reaching the semi-finals of the World T20 on the back of some excellent game plan, executed well.

Five-match ODI series in 2016

MS Dhoni’s final ODI series as captain was not an easy one by any stretch of imagination. Granted, he did not have the strongest Indian squad at his disposal with a few senior players rested in the middle of a long home season. But New Zealand bounced back impressively after a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series, to force a decider in the five-match series.

“Not every time we can get it right. We just give ourselves the best chance to read the conditions and adapt quickly,” was how pace spearhead Tim Southee had put it ahead of the decider in Vizag. They, of course, ended up losing the match handsomely thanks to some Amit Mishra magic but during the series, during their wins in Ranchi and New Delhi, New Zealand showed plenty of evidence that the have the variety in their bowling attack to exploit any slowness on the Indian tracks.

Their tactics in the middle overs to hit the deck hard and vary pace, use slow bouncers and cutters – all these are tactics that sound easy on paper but the Kiwis showed an ability to implement their plans in crunch situations. Of course, the IPL experience in their squad helped but tell that to Australia who were taken apart in the recent series.

The perfect run-chase at Wankhede

And then of course, that elegant, precise run-chase in Wankhede on Sunday in the first ODI. 283, believe it or not, is the highest target chased down at Mumbai. Virat Kohli, while rightly praising New Zealand batsmen in the post-match interview, revealed how his team had no doubt that they had enough runs on the board.

Up stepped Tom Latham and Ross Taylor with their best laid plans. It involved a lot of sweeping, it involved not letting the two wrist spinners settling into a rhythm, it involved not letting the runs dry up during the middle overs and keeping the required run-rate in check, it involved not losing a wicket between overs 35 and 40 after doing all the hard work – and the Black Caps ticked all the boxes in style.

It was not the first time in recent past Kane Williamson’s men have showed they can adapt to Indian conditions in the limited-overs format as well as any touring side.

Sure they have never won an ODI series in India, but, on recent evidence, don’t put it past them to surprise Kohli’s men.