Former Kiwi skipper Glenn Turner expects India to deliver a much better performance in Test series

Former New Zealand batsman Glenn Turner has admitted that he was left rather surprised by the way things unfolded in the three-match One-day International series between New Zealand and India. After mauling the Kiwis 5-0 in the T20I series, the Men in Blue got the taste of their own medicine as they were blanked 0-3 in the ODIs, which according to Turner was an indication of a plethora of chinks in their armour.

Turner, who is considered one of the finest batsman to have come out of New Zealand, played 41 Tests and as many 50-over games during his 14-year-old career between 1969-83. And, so it really doesn’t come as a surprise that the 72-year-old isn’t a sucker of T20 cricket- which according to him is a ‘blot’ on the game.

“I have no time at all for T20 cricket. It’s a blot on the game. 50-over cricket, you can have a game. Technically, I felt bowling from both sides have been way below than what I had expected at international levels in both formats.” Glenn Turner said as quoted by Scroll.in.

Turner feels that New Zealand will start as favourites in the upcoming Test series but also reckoned that India- the N0.1 Test side in the world- will fare better in the Tests compared to what they did in the ODIs.

“At the moment, New Zealand has their nose ahead but I have been rather surprised, that has been the case. India has shown in three-match series they have several ‘ifs’ and I am surprised that they have not performed better than they have,” he said.

Glenn Turner hails India’s fast bowling force

Indian fast bowling duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were off-colour in the ODI series but adjusting to the red Kookaburra in swinging conditions of Wellington shouldn’t be an issue.

“Shami has shown he is a talent and has great stamina. It’s almost in my mind, once Test matches start, the theory of how you should bowl under certain circumstances in limited-overs cricket tends to be sidelined. That being the case, I would expect the Indian bowling to be better than what we have seen,” Turner pointed out.

“He has got natural talent despite being unorthodox in his bowling action. He tends to come off the pitch quicker than you would expect and has accuracy. He has had a good warm-up bowling 10 overs in ODIs but then limited-overs doesn’t help in building stamina for bowling 25 overs a day,” he added.

The duo may not have had a fruitful outing in the ODIs but if the second day of the practice game against New Zealand XI– where the duo put on a bowling clinic- is any indication, then the Tests could turn out to be a different ball game together.

The first Test of the two-match series will start on February 21 at the Basin Reserve where India will hope to do an encore of 2009- the last time they won [1-0] a Test series in New Zealand.

Watch: Irfan Pathan’s interview post his retirement