New Zealand coach Mike Hesson on Friday called on his fast bowlers to welcome Indian batsmen with aggression when they clash with the visitors in the five-match ODI series starting here on Sunday.
“It’s aggression in terms of where you bowl the ball, the pace you bowl and the areas you bowl. You’re not just running up and putting it there and hoping good things will happen, you’re actually trying to make things happen. We’ve got a few guys who do that naturally so we’ll certainly be encouraging that,” Hesson was quoted as saying by a website.
“If you just try and deny there comes a time in the game with only four fielders out where it’s extremely hard to defend. If you’re able to keep taking wickets at the top you can control those middle overs. That’s a pattern that’s worked well for us and one we’d certainly look to continue,” Hesson said.
Hesson said the pitch at the Mclean Park will play true to its character. “Quick, bouncy, a good wicket, a high scoring game, that’s the pattern we get there and it’s been pretty consistent,” he said. Meanwhile, New Zealand bowling coach Shane Bond has asked his boys to rise up to the challenge of facing world’s number one ODI team.
“I think everyone is really excited about this tour by the Indian team. They are a fantastic unit and we are playing at home, in conditions that aren’t really familiar to them. They have some ferocious batsmen so do we and both sides have good bowlers,” said the former Black Caps’ fast bowler.
“It will be an interesting contest and I am hoping for a fantastic ODI series followed up by an equally intriguing Test series,” he added. “I am always in favour of bowler-friendly pitches being a fast bowler myself,” said Bond jokingly.
“Seriously though, the pitches for ODIs will be more batsmen friendly, firm and hard, with a lot of bounce. Some of them will be drop-in pitches like the one here in Napier, so there will not be much in them for the bowlers. The grounds in New Zealand are small as well, so the batsmen can make merry especially in limited-overs cricket.