The barrage of bouncers will continue - Kiwi coach Mike Hesson

Mike Hesson

Mike Hesson, the coach of the New Zealand cricket team, has warned the Indian batsmen that their fight against surviving the short ball is not yet over, and they will be hassled in the Tests also. The tactic has worked remarkably well for the Kiwis, who won the ODI series 4-0 by bouncing out most of the Indian batsmen.

“Yeah, [if] conditions allow, absolutely,” Hesson said. “It is the ability to push guys back and then bowl their natural length [to set the batsman up], the ability to do that and obviously presenting the seam so that we can find the outside edge. That is the sort of formula that we have had for a while. I think we showed that at the Basin Reserve the last time we played, and the way we forced West Indies back and took them out, that is something we will look to continue.”

Green, seaming pitches were demanded by Hesson before the start of the tour. But with the dawn of the Test series, he is a bit sceptical about the strategy citing that it could back-fire.

“I don’t think Eden Park ever looks green to be fair,” Hesson said last week, after the announcement of the Test squad. “The drop-ins don’t look green, sometimes they do more than I think. I talk with New Zealand Cricket. I don’t ring groundsmen and give orders. That is not the way we operate. NZC are very clear about the type of surface we would like but with that comes risk as well as we know how good the Indian seamers are.”

The strength of the Kiwis in the ODIs was the middle-order batsmen, who were prolific throughout the series, and many of them will also feature in the Test line-up, too. The duo of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor put on an impressive tally of three century partnerships in five matches, which was combined with some significant contributions from Corey Anderson and Brendon McCullum. These players would like to build on their good form and use their knowledge gained during the last fortnight in the Test series, which starts on the 6th of February.

“We had a good look at the Indian seam attack. Clearly the conditions will be a little different, especially in the first innings of the game,” Hesson said. “The Indian seamer’s are good bowlers, especially if there is a little bit in the wicket. We have got to prepare accordingly, obviously quick change in format so we need to make that shift. Our openers are coming in off some form domestically, so hopefully they can set the tone for us.“

Hesson also commented that even though the two formats are very different, the Black Caps are set to approach the Test series with a positive mindset following their recent triumph in the ODI series.

“There will definitely be some confidence within the group that we can compete with these guys and they are a good side. But we know it is a different format. A few new faces but we will certainly take some confidence into the series.”