Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru
New Zealand’s attempts to rebuild the Test side have received a wet reception in India. The one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida didn’t take place due to an outfield rendered unplayable by rain. In Bengaluru for the first Test against India, they are once again staring at the dark clouds, which have caused sharp showers over the last few days.
Winners of the first World Test Championship (WTC) final — against India in 2021 — New Zealand are not in good shape in the longest format anymore. Sixth in the current WTC standings and coming off a 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka after the Afghanistan no-play, they are the firm non-favourites against an Indian side going great guns for a third successive slot in the WTC final.
Contrast this with the situation of New Zealand in the limited-over formats, especially the 50-over one. They are the only team to have reached the semi-finals of the last five ODI World Cups. The perennial underdogs finished second on two of those occasions. When everyone thought they would be devastated after the 2019 final, New Zealand won the 2021 WTC final.
The side that is going to face a robust India in the opener of the three-Test series in Bengaluru from October 16, weather permitting, is a vastly inferior one. They have talent, quality and even temperament. There are capable players in their ranks. Do they have the wherewithal to tackle India in India? That’s the huge question mark.
“I think anywhere around the world at the moment, it’s hard to win away from home. Teams are obviously fantastic in their own conditions,” said New Zealand skipper Tom Latham at the pre-Test media conference. “They know how to play in their own conditions. And when you look at India as a whole, you obviously look at the spinners when you come over these conditions,” said Latham.
That’s a genuine worry for the visiting side. The Indian spin unit led by Ravichandran Ashwin is better than any other in the world. However, it must be remembered that in Mumbai in 2021, after Ajaz Patel became the third bowler ever to claim 10 wickets in a Test innings, the New Zealanders were rocked initially by Mohammed Siraj the fast bowler. It was not just spin.
Depleted irreparably in the absence of Kane Williamson, New Zealand are already staring at a huge deficit. They have not been able to fill the void left by middle-order pillar Ross Taylor, who retired in 2022, and none of their batters have the experience of successfully tackling Indian conditions in this format. The recent 0-2 surrender in Sri Lanka is no morale-booster either.
“We know how good India are in their own conditions, the quality of their bowlers, the quality of their batters. They’ve grown up in these conditions and it shows how hard it is for a team to come and win here. It’s difficult,” said Rachin Ravindra, two days ahead of the Test. He was instrumental in his team snatching a creditable draw in Kanpur in 2021, with an unbeaten 18 off 91 deliveries.
But Rachin and his teammates are in for a more severe test over the next few weeks. India are in sniffing distance of securing a third successive WTC final spot. They know that beating New Zealand will put them in pole position for that. Of the last 10 Tests the Kiwis have played in India, they lost seven and drew three. Out of 36 attempts in this country, they won twice and lost 17 times. Rain may spare them another defeat in the city where Rachin has his roots. Beyond that is beyond them.