NZ are coming off a long break without Test cricket but their captain backs them to hit the ground running in Galle

Madushka Balasuriya17-Sep-20241:24

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New Zealand might not have played a Test since March but they will have little time to get up to speed ahead of a packed Test schedule to close out the year. September’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka will be followed by a three-Test tour of India in October and November, before they head back home to host England in November and December for three more Tests.All eight of these games will encompass the remainder of their World Test Championship cycle, with New Zealand very likely needing to win at least five of them to be in with a chance of making the final at Lord’s.A one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, which was not part of the WTC cycle, was ideally supposed to serve as a warm-up for subcontinental conditions. However, rain – and wet outfield – meant that that game was abandoned without a single ball bowled. Captain Tim Southee though chose to focus on the positives.”We’ve had a bit of a break from Test cricket since the end of our home summer and now we’ve got an important part in terms of the Test championship cycle,” Southee said on the eve of the first Test in Galle. “We’ve got eight games between now and December, so it’s an exciting times for us as a Test side and tough times ahead of us – here in Sri Lanka obviously, India in India and then England at home.”Yeah it was disappointing [not to play against Afghanistan] but we still spent a week [in India] which we got some positives out of. We got some training in, some great training here. We spent some time together as a Test side – been a while since we’ve been together – so to have that time, and bonding over that time in India was important as well.”Key among the preparations has been in the spin-bowling department, with New Zealand bringing in Rangana Herath – whose 102 Test wickets in Galle are second only to Mutthiah Muralidaran – as spin-bowling coach.”[He’s] a guy who’s taken over 100 Test wickets on this ground, and been a Sri Lankan great. We’ve got three left-arm spinners in the squad, who he’s been working closely with, along with our other spinners.”New Zealand’s strength though lies not as much in specialisation, but rather their diversity of approach, and an ability to adapt to different conditions. While Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel offer frontline spin options, the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell offer further options. Then, alongside Southee, the likes of Matt Henry, Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke all offer variety in seam.”I think historically here, Galle in particular, spin has played a pretty big part,” Southee said. “But as pace bowlers if you can come here and do well, that’s a tough challenge but a very rewarding challenge.”You look at the balance of squad, we’ve got specialist spinners, we’ve got guys at the top of the order that can offer spin options, as well as four quality seam bowlers that offer different options as well. I think we’ve got a number of bases covered, I guess it’s just figuring out what balance is the right one to go in with in these conditions.”And that can change from the first match to the second match, and then obviously when you go to India it could change again. So I think it’s about having a squad that can cover all bases.”For Southee, meanwhile, there is also a historic milestone not far off on the horizon. Currently on 380 wickets, he’s just 20 strikes away from becoming the 18th player to 400 Test wickets, and the second from New Zealand to the feat after Sir Richard Hadlee.”I guess over time, when you play for a long period, you’re able to I guess come close to those, but still being 20 wickets away is a lot of tours, especially in this part of the world. But yeah, every game you’re going out and trying to do your role and take some wickets for your side and it’d be nice if you do achieve those milestones along the way.”