Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai
For New Zealand’s men’s cricket team, their topsy-turvy tour of the sub-continent will come to an end with the third Test against India at Wankhede Stadium. It started with a 0-2 series defeat in Sri Lanka, followed by a headline-making washout against Afghanistan in Noida, and is set to conclude with a historic, first-ever Test series win against India. The Mumbai Test presents New Zealand with the opportunity of a clean sweep on Indian soil, something not achieved by any team since 2000.
Daryl Mitchell, who kicked off the sub-continent tour with a punchy 57 against Dhananjaya de Silva, Ramesh Mendis and Prabhath Jayasuriya, is looking to end the series on a high. This is the same venue where he scored a stunning 134 off 119 in the ODI World Cup semi-final, albeit to a losing cause. A match-winning, history-making knock here would offer sweet closure to what has been a gruelling couple of months on the road.
Some players travel with their families, but for Mitchell, a Manchester United fan, hobbies are crucial. “I wouldn’t say I’m very very good at it but I enjoy it (playing FIFA now EA FC). There are plenty of guys that are better than me at that,” Mitchell tells RevSportz in an exclusive interview.
“I’ve enjoyed (gaming) since I was a little kid. Playing those sorts of games like NBA 2K, FIFA, that’s good fun. It’s really important to have a balance,” Mitchell adds. “For me, obviously being a dad of two little girls as well, having my family on tour, as much as we can, around school, that’s important. We make a big effort with the coffee room and have coffee with each other and some boys play PlayStation. When you can’t leave the hotel as much as you could in New Zealand, when you’re over here in the sub continent, you’ve got to find ways to make it fun.”
Football is popular among cricketers, and Mitchell is no different. “Devon Conway thinks he’s good, but he’s not great at FIFA. He’s an Arsenal fan, which I’ve got to hold against him. I am Manchester United fan. So it’s been a tough few years for me,” says Daryl, whose father is a former New Zealand rugby union player and coach John Mitchell.
In India, New Zealand’s batters have displayed courage and technique to counter the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Players like Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Will Young have stood out. Despite not having similar conditions back home, the Kiwis have thrived in testing conditions. Mitchell attributes this to observing top players and applying those lessons in international matches and during his IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings.
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“For me, being a Kiwi, growing up and you know, as kids, we got a lot more grass, a lot more bounce. We don’t face a lot of spin. For us, as overseas players coming over, it’s learning in the early part of our careers and trying to work out a game plan. For me, it was watching some of the world’s best players of spin and how they go about it and how I can add to the strength that I’ve already got as a player and try to adapt that to my game,” Mitchell explains.
“That’s how I guess I’ve looked at playing spin. We spend so much time over here in this part of the world now with IPL and other series and tournaments that I guess you’re learning (from) and you’re adapting as you go. And the more experiences you have, the better you get,” he adds.
Mitchell has taken inspiration from players like Kane Williamson and former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden. Chemistry among the batting unit is also the key. “First and foremost, our own Kane Williamson. I think he’s probably one of the best going around. I’m lucky enough that I show up to work each day and I can learn from the likes of him,” Mitchell says. “Within our own group, we talk a lot about the way Tom Latham sweeps and we all use our own little strengths that we’ve got. Watching Hayden as a bigger guy, how he went about playing spin although he’s left-handed. Little things here and there and you try and adapt it to your game and see if it works.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on. It is the way we adapt to different conditions around the world. It’s not always going to go your way. You understand that. But we’re very clear with how we prepare for these tours and how we want to go about our plans when we’re playing out there,” Mitchell elaborates.
“We also talk a lot between each other and bounce ideas off each other. I think that’s what makes us such a close batting unit. We all understand each other’s games inside out. And we can ask, why are you doing this? How do you do that? There’s no judgment. We’re all working together for the same goal, which is really, really cool and (it) makes it a cool group to be a part of.”
Mitchell’s IPL experience, even if limited with Rajasthan Royals in 2022, allowed him to refine his game against spin during training. This preparation shone through in 2023 ODI World Cup where he amassed 552 runs at an average of 69. Before that, he had tallied 318 runs at a strike rate of 142.60 in 13 games for Chennai Super Kings.
“For me, firstly, to get the chance in Rajasthan (Royals) a few years ago, though I didn’t play much. I was allowed to train a lot and experiment with some things. To take that into the one-day World Cup over here, and as well with CSK and that sort of role at 3-4-5, of having to manage spin in those middle overs. That’s something, I pride myself on and I enjoy,” Mitchell states.
Playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where dominating spinners can be challenging for a middle-order bat, was a highlight for Mitchell. “It’s an amazing experience to be part of that IPL and then to be part of, to play at grounds like Chepauk. It’s a beautiful ground. A lower and slower wicket which creates its own challenges. It’s about adapting as quick as you can to the different surfaces around the country and trying to find ways to put pressure back on the bowlers,” he says.
For all-format cricketers like Mitchell, adapting between white-ball and red-ball cricket is a significant challenge. Shuffling between minor technical tweaks and mentality is crucial. How is tackling spin in white-ball and red-ball different?
“That’s an interesting question. I pride myself on for playing all three formats. It means a hell lot more to play Test cricket, but also with the two white ball formats as well. It’s adapting your game. You don’t want to go changing too many things within your game,” Mitchell says. “It’s adjusting your risk-taking, your options and weighing up your times to put pressure on them and when not to. In T20, you take more risks than in Tests. But you still try and put pressure on them when you can. So, yeah, being able to play all three formats is something I’m very proud of and hopefully I can keep doing for a long time to come.”
Discussing what makes the New Zealand batting unit special, Mitchell emphasised their cohesiveness and playing with the ‘minds’ of the bowlers. “I think you can see the way that we played as a unit in the first two Tests and hopefully we continue to do in the next Test as we want to keep trying to find ways to not let their bowlers bowl good balls for long periods of time. We want to keep finding ways to put pressure on them and ask them to adapt as well. Yeah, they are going to bowl good balls and you got to trust your game. But at the same time, you want to keep trying to score runs as well.”
While the focus is on potentially whitewashing India, New Zealand players celebrated their historic series win after the victory in Pune. “It is nice to create history for our country. It’s something we’ve never done. So, we enjoyed each other’s company that night in our team room, but we also understand that we got a Test match to go and we’ve got another chance to go about doing what we do out in the field and hopefully, that brings a win and we’ll see what happens.”
The IPL retention deadline day became a topic before the Mumbai Test. Mitchell, who had been a consistent performer for CSK in the previous IPL, reflected on the thrill of being part of the biggest T20 tournament. “It’s an amazing experience. It’s something I’m very grateful to have been a part of in the last few years and hopefully I get many more chances in the future. We’re taking on the best players in the world in what is such a massive tournament and the crowds that come with it is pretty special. It’s a pretty cool experience to be a part of.”
Observing India’s World Cup-winning captain and CSK’s MS Dhoni has been a learning experience for Mitchell, particularly off the field. “I just really respect how he goes about his business. The amount of pressure that he has on him as the face of a franchise in the country, how he can go about being such a humble, nice, quiet guy and so down to earth. I respect him very highly and I was very lucky to share a changing room with him,” Mitchell concludes.