The Indian team will undertake a long tour of New Zealand between October 22 and December 1. During the tour, Team India will play five T20Is, five ODIs and two Test matches. The Indian squad for the tour has not yet been announced, but Suryavanshi is considered highly likely to receive an opportunity in the T20I team.
However, Suryavanshi has not been part of the playing XI for a long time. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has also made it clear that the youngster will have to wait for his opportunity. With a long tour ahead, however, the chances of Suryavanshi getting an opportunity are considered high.
New Zealand coach Walter said he would like to see Suryavanshi bat on a fast and bouncy wicket and assess how his game responds to different conditions.
“I’d love to see him play on a fast and bouncy wicket. Then see how different he looks, but he is an exciting player. You’ve seen him dominate some of the best bowlers in the world in the IPL. I think the challenge is always to see how that works in different conditions and also how we bowl to him in our conditions,” Walter said.
New Zealand will also enter the series with memories of previous encounters against India. India lost the T20I series in New Zealand 1-2 in 2019. However, on the next tour, India produced a dominant performance and completed a 5-0 clean sweep against New Zealand on their home soil.
India currently have a 17-11 record against New Zealand in T20Is. Team India also defeated New Zealand in the recent T20 World Cup final. With those results in the background, the Kiwi side will be looking to respond against India in the upcoming series.
For Suryavanshi, the New Zealand tour could therefore provide an opportunity to demonstrate how his aggressive batting style translates to fast and bouncy conditions, particularly if he gets his chance in the T20I squad.
About The Author
Comment List