Black Caps set for subcontinent Test

By Kris Shannon

The Black Caps are days away from starting an assignment the side haven’t faced in 40 years – six straight tests on the subcontinent.

Tim Southee and his team today arrived in India ahead of their inaugural test against Afghanistan, beginning on Monday afternoon (NZT) in Noida.

That one-off match will be followed by two tests this month in Sri Lanka, before the touring squad head back to India for a three-test series in October and November.

Given they then return home for three tests against England in December, the year is ending with a feast of red-ball cricket seldom enjoyed by the Black Caps. And the initial courses represent a challenge the national team haven’t encountered in Southee’s lifetime.

New Zealand last played six straight tests on the subcontinent in 1984, when a 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka was followed by a 2-0 defeat in Pakistan. But on that occasion, the tours were separated by eight months.

This time, preparing for 30 potential days of cricket inside a two-month span, the foreign conditions will start feeling like home.

“A chance to play nine test matches on the bounce is something that we haven’t done as a side for a long time,” Southee said. “Six test matches in the subcontinent is going to be challenging, but it’s also exciting.”

That will be particularly true for the Black Caps’ spin quintet, ready for both the thrill and burden of carrying the attack.

Ajaz Patel is the only full-time spinner in the 15-strong squad, while Rachin Ravindra will add valuable overs near the top of the batting order. If four quicks are competing for two places, allrounders Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell will battle for the other two spots in the XI.

“That may change from venue to venue and obviously changing from India to Sri Lanka,” Southee said. “We’ve got guys that can bat and bowl spin, we’ve got guys that bowl off-spin, left-arm spin, so we’ve got a good mix

“It’s exciting for all the spinners. As a spin bowler, you’re looking forward to this chunk – very rarely do you get six matches in the subcontinent.”

Along with the home clashes against England, the series in Sri Lanka and India will be New Zealand’s last matches in this cycle of the World Test Championship, where they currently rank third behind Australia and India.

Before they begin that hunt for points, the first aim will be avoiding another historic loss.

The Black Caps need no reminding about the potential of Afghanistan, having been rolled by the ICC’s newest full member to kick off their dismal T20 World Cup campaign in June.

Afghanistan progressed to the semifinals of that tournament, having collected a few scalps at the previous year’s ODI World Cup, but their test record is more limited.

This will be their 10th test and first at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, now the team’s home after shifting from Sharjah. Yet already in a short history that began in 2018, they have beaten Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Ireland.

“They’re still new to the red-ball format, but we’ve seen in the other formats what a side they can be,” Southee said. “They’re an improving side, they’ve had some great success in those other two formats, and I’m sure as a country they want to have success in the longer format as well

“Every time we’ve come up against them in a world event in the last five or six years, we know they are a dangerous side, especially in that part of the world. We know they are a very good side in these conditions.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission