India are yet to beat New Zealand in a Test with Jasprit Bumrah in their line-up. Former New Zealand quick Tim Southee, too, pointed it out while sounding confident of the New Zealand batters’ ability to keep the India pace spearhead at bay in their upcoming clash.
“I think New Zealand have played Bumrah incredibly well in Test cricket. I don’t think Bumrah has played in an Indian team that has beaten New Zealand. So, I think New Zealand play him exceptionally well in Tests,” Southee, who will be commentating in the India-New Zealand white-ball matches beginning next week, said in a select virtual interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Thursday.
Southee’s assessment isn’t wrong. Bumrah has only nine wickets from the five Tests he has played so far against New Zealand. For a pacer considered the best across formats, his bowling strike rate against the Black Caps is 92.8.
“New Zealand batters are very well equipped for the home conditions and know what they’re going to be faced with in terms of the early part of the season. So, yeah, it’ll be a good test.
“It’s two very good teams going against each other. Overall, it’s a good Indian bowling attack against an experienced and pretty solid batting line-up of New Zealand,” Southee, who represented New Zealand in 107 Tests, 161 ODIs and 126 T20Is, emphasised.
However, he pinned hopes on Bumrah’s new-ball partner Mohammed Siraj, who
he feels could make some difference for Shubman Gill and Co, particularly in
the two Tests in Wellington and Christchurch.
“I’m a big fan of Mohammed Siraj and the way he bowls. If he can get his length right in New Zealand, he could be a handful,” Southee said.
“The energy he brings, the way he runs in all day, the type of bowler he is, there’s no reason why he can’t have a lot of success in New Zealand conditions. There’s a lot to like about him in particular.”
Even the other Indian quicks, like a Prasidh Krishna, should enjoy bowling in the Test series, Southee said. “The other guys like Prasidh Krishna and the like have had success in Tests in recent times as well, which is exciting for them.
“Now, alongside the use of the Kookaburra ball, the wickets after the first or the first two days can certainly flatten out. But if you look at the (Indian) attack, they’re used to playing on pretty flat surfaces. So, I’d imagine they’ll enjoy the challenge of bowling in New Zealand, and the conditions that may suit the bowlers and have a little bit in it (pitch) for them,” Southee said.
Talking about the nature of the surfaces for India’s limited-overs games against the hosts, Southee expects “good bounce and pace” on the pitches in Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui.
India tour of New Zealand, live on Sony Sports Network & SonyLIV from October 22