NEW DELHI: New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner is gearing up for a challenging match against India in the ICC World Cup on Sunday, emphasizing the importance of assessing the conditions in Dharamsala and countering the in-form Rohit Sharma.
New Zealand have adapted well to the varied conditions in the tournament, playing in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Chennai; and they are now looking forward to their game against India in the hilly region.
Santner acknowledged the challenge of playing against India in their home conditions, saying, "We know they're going to obviously be a challenge at home. They look pretty tough to beat. We'll have to do our assessment in Dharamsala - see what the wicket's going to do. There has been a little pace and bounce. But whether that is the case when we play them, we'll see."
He emphasized the need to perform well during the power play, particularly considering the excellent form of Rohit Sharma.
"I think power play with the ball is going to be very important, the way Rohit's kind of getting them off to a flyer. So I think we have to do similar stuff to what we're doing," he said.
Santner also highlighted New Zealand's ability to adapt to different conditions throughout the tournament.
"What we've done well through this tournament is being able to adapt to different conditions. Every pitch we've played on has been slightly different."
New Zealand have performed impressively in the World Cup, winning all four of their games against England, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Santner stressed the importance of staying focused and continuing to play their game, keeping in mind the tournament's long duration.
The recent victory over Afghanistan was a result of the 144-run partnership between Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips. Santner acknowledged the significance of that partnership and the impact of the new ball's pressure on the game.
Having played for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, Santner is familiar with the conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. He had a remarkable game in the match against Afghanistan, taking three wickets and a spectacular one-handed catch.
Santner also reached a significant milestone in the game by becoming just the second Black Caps spinner to reach 100 ODI wickets, following in the footsteps of former skipper Daniel Vettori.
In terms of strategy, Santner noted that the middle phase of the game is crucial for taking wickets, and the team's approach has to be aggressive in that phase. He also highlighted the partnership with pacer Lockie Ferguson and their complementary roles in the team.
As New Zealand prepares to face India, cricket fans can anticipate an exciting clash between two formidable teams in the World Cup.
(With PTI inputs)
