New Zealand hope to get back on winning track when they take on India in the first T20 International at Visakhapatnam on Saturday as it will boost the morale of the side ahead of the World T20 in Sri Lanka starting from September 18.
Published: Sep 07, 2012, 05:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 07, 2012, 05:40 PM (IST)
Daniel Vettori didn’t play the Test series against India as he was suffering from groin injury © Getty Images
Visakhapatnam: Sep 7, 2012
New Zealand hope to get back on winning track when they take on India in the first T20 International at Visakhapatnam on Saturday as it will boost the morale of the side ahead of the World T20 in Sri Lanka starting from September 18.
New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor feels that return of senior players in Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills will help the Black Caps get into groove.
“New players bring in new energy. Now we are looking forward to it,” Taylor said on the eve of first match at Visakhapatnam on Friday.
The skipper is hopeful of making full use of the expertise of Vettori, Oram and Mills in the sub-continental conditions.
“We have some experienced players in the squad in Oram, Vettori, Mills who have played a lot of cricket in sub-continent. We would like to see how they go in the next couple of games and also in the World Twenty20 (in Sri Lanka).”
The Black Caps have an all-win 3-0 record against India in shortest format but it would matter little in conditions suited to India, he added.
“It’s a record we all would like to keep. But all those games were overseas – two at home and one in World Twenty20 in 2007. The Indian team play very well at home. They know the conditions well.”
But he added that the experience of playing in Indian Premier League has helped.
“Knowing the Indian conditions, made it a bit easier then we played earlier. But the flip side is they know our players a little better as well. We have plans to combat that.”
About the disappointing Test series where they lost both the matches against India, Taylor said the team was looking forward and to do well in Sri Lanka.
“A lot more cricket is coming up. Not only in the T20 International series but the World Twenty20 too. As I said we have some new players coming in. Our World T20 campaign starts now. We are looking forward to how they do here before the World T20.”
“We will try a couple of different combinations. It’s not experimental but more to give the players’ some rest. Whoever plays, every time you play to win,” he added,” he concluded. (PTI)
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