Adapting to Mumbai pitch key to NZ hopes

NZ coach Gary Stead says a series win in itself is incredible

MUMBAI:

New Zealand's chances of delivering a famous series whitewash in India will depend on how well they adapt to the Mumbai pitch, coach Gary Stead said.

The tourists thrashed India by eight wickets in the series opener in Bengaluru before winning the second match in Pune by 113 runs on Saturday, ending their opponents' home streak of 18 successive series triumphs stretching back to 2012.

The last time India were blanked in a home series was in 2000 when they lost 2-0 to South Africa.

"A series win in itself is incredible, but what we want to do is keep trying to get better every game, and we're going to different circumstances now," Stead told New Zealand media.

Another victory would improve the Black Caps' chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year he added.

However, Stead highlighted the challenge of getting accustomed to the Wankhede Stadium's red clay pitch after playing on black soil surfaces in the two opening victories.

India beat New Zealand by 70 runs at the venue in the semi-finals of last year's Cricket World Cup and thrashed them by 372 runs when they met there in the longest format in 2021.

"The red clay is very different, so we're going to have to adapt quickly," he added. "Our next two trainings are going to be important but for the WTC itself, there's no doubt one more win would certainly help us."

New Zealand, who won the WTC title in 2021, are fourth in the standings and must beat India and overcome England in three tests at home next month to boost their hopes of finishing in the top two.

Of winning a Ballon d'Or but the last years I think I performed in the highest level of football and the people that both consider that they were romantic about the football I did, so very pleased.

"The first time we were in the situation of qualifying for the first WTC final, we had to win four tests on the bounce and we managed to," Stead added.

"Hopefully that's something we can lean on and say, 'we've done it before, here's an opportunity to perhaps do something very special again'."

The third test begins in Mumbai on Friday.

Emotional Ajaz

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel said Wednesday that returning to his birthplace Mumbai after his 10-wicket haul there three years ago made for an "emotional" homecoming ahead of the third Test against India.

The Black Caps sealed a first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil last week in Pune and are now chasing a 3-0 sweep in the final match starting Friday at Wankhede Stadium.

In December 2021 at the same venue, Ajaz became only the third bowler in Test history to take all 10 wickets in an innings.

New Zealand lost the match but Ajaz joined elite company alongside England off-spinner Jim Laker (1956 at Old Trafford) and Indian spin ace Anil Kumble (1999 in Delhi).

"Certainly emotional," Ajaz, 36, told reporters.

"I guess being back in Mumbai is always quite special and it's a place I call home as well. Having the opportunity to play out here again is quite special."

He added: "To be honest, after my 10-wicket haul I wasn't sure whether I'd get another opportunity to play out here again."

New Zealand beat India at their own game of spin for a 113-run victory in the second Test on a turning Pune pitch. Ajaz's fellow left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner excelled with a match haul of 13 wickets as top Indian batters including skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli flopped.

But Ajaz, who made his Test debut in 2018 after moving to Auckland from Mumbai with his parents, said India still remain the favourites.

"I think India still have the wood on us when it comes to playing on turning wickets and traditionally the Indian batters have I guess done well on turning surfaces," said Ajaz.

"Obviously they haven't had maybe as much success as they would have liked in this series so far, but they're certainly an opposition that are very, very skilled and not the easiest to come up against."

India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said the home team's knowledge of the surface will help them counter New Zealand at Wankhede.

"We have to give a lot of credit to New Zealand, the way they have played and the way they have countered spin," he said.

"A lot of the guys have played a lot of local cricket here and the understanding of what these conditions are and how the pitch is going to pan out."