IND v NZ, Test series - 5 New Zealand players to watch out for

Facing India in their home is a daunting challenge for any team. New Zealand will have to be really upbeat with their approach and perform to the top level if they hope to match and compete the Indians in their own backyard.

Talking about previous records, the Blacks Caps haven’t had a great record in India. They have been here 10 times since coming here in 1955 but have never managed to win a series. Their last outing here under the captaincy of Ross Taylor which resulted in a 2-0 whitewash. But, the Black Caps are too dangerous to be written off that easily, especially with players who can adapt to the conditions and use it to their team’s advantage.

Spin plays a vital role traditionally and the Kiwis, this time, seem to have brought a balanced side who promise to thrive in these conditions. So, here in this article, we try to list out 5 such players who could prove to be game changers for New Zealand and may surprise India in the upcoming Test series which begins from September 22.

1. Kane Williamson: 

For skipper Kane Williamson, it will be a test of his captaincy and batting skills together. Williamson began his captaincy journey in India during the World T20 this year and fared well taking his team to the semi-finals.

He displayed great tactical skills during the tournament using spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi as his main weapon and stunning the oppositions including India. However, situations have changed this time for him as he prepares to face the mighty Indians in the longer format. It will be really exciting to see how he operates his men. His batting skills will also be under test.

Williamson has a satisfying record against India, scoring 326 runs in 5 Tests since playing against them for the first time in 2010 at Ahmedabad. But, in the past couple of years, he has grown into a run making giant and had unfortunately not got any opportunity to play in India. Therefore, this will be a good opportunity for him to improve his record and come up with some wonderful performances.

Also check out – India v New Zealand, Test series: 5 Indian players to watch out for