New Zealand excited about spin test ahead of upcoming India series
Tuesday 13 September 2016 12:18, UK
Captain Kane Williamson says New Zealand are relishing the prospect of trying to win a Test series in India.
The Black Caps begin their quest for victory in Kanpur on September 22, live on Sky Sports 2, and Williamson knows a trial by spin awaits his side on the subcontinent.
"It's a tough place to play, particularly in recent years," Williamson said.
"The pitches have been very tricky and you throw in world class spinners, the challenge is very tough.
"At the same time, we see it as a very exciting opportunity. You want to be playing the best in their backyard and the guys are excited and looking forward to the challenge."
New Zealand have selected three spinners - Mark Craig, Mitchell Santner and Indian-born Ish Sodhi - in their 15-man squad for the three-Test series in India.
"All three are keen learners of the game and certainly we're going to put a lot of faith in them in the coming weeks," coach Mike Hesson said.
"But the challenge for us is firstly adjusting to the different ball. The SG balls [which will be used in this series) can be different to what we have been operating with, the Kookaburra."
Hesson admits New Zealand's pacemen will bank heavily on trying to generate reverse swing as they try and beat an India side that crushed South Africa 3-0 in a four-Test series last year.
"It's a huge component of playing cricket overseas on surfaces that aren't responsive in terms of seam movement," he added.
"And they are abrasive and they lose their shine very quickly - you need to find another way. Hence overseas teams are pretty keen to find ways to get the ball to reverse, obviously in a legitimate fashion."
