Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]October 7 (ANI): New Zealand pacer Matt Henry expressed his views on his side's historic Test series against India and said he would not call the win a “surprise” and the side was well prepared for the challenge of beating India in their own home conditions.
Henry was speaking on the sidelines of the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Last year, New Zealand did the unthinkable, ending India's 12-year dominant run at home, handing them a series loss and that too, a painful whitewash, a first for India at home.
New Zealand came into the series as wounded lions, facing a humiliating loss on the tour of Sri Lanka in Tests 2-0. The New Zealand series, under Tom Latham's Captaincy, started a tough spell of Test cricket for Team India and the team suffered a loss to Australia. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin also retired from Test cricket.
While spinners Ajaz Patel (15) and Mitchell Santner (13) outpaced their Indian counterparts and turned India's home advantage on its head, Henry also took 10 wickets in two matches at an average of over 15, with best figures of 5/15. This five-wicket spell came during the first Bengaluru Test in which Pacers wreaked havoc on India after rain, bundling them for just 46 in the first innings.
Speaking at the awards, Matt said: “I wouldn't say it's a surprise. And it was something we were prepared for. I think having that tour in Sri Lanka leading into the Test series gave us a lot of confidence about how we want to play the game and get used to spin-friendly conditions and how we can put pressure on bowling and before the way we can post a memorable series, how we are a memorable series, a memorable series for us.”
“I mean, to come here and not just win a series, but 3-0 is pretty amazing and it was quite special for New Zealand cricket,” he added.
Henry is also excited about a white-ball series of three ODIs and five T20is against India from January 11 next year.
“I think the timing of that series is really important too. We obviously have a World Cup (T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka) coming up as well. So if I'm able to come back to Indian conditions and it's an important part of our World Cup journey also before India Sri Lanka hosts the World Cup,” he said.
The pacer is extremely excited about the idea of bowling to number one T20I batsman Abhishek Sharma, who had a breakout Asia Cup with a 'player of the tournament' winning outing of 314 runs in six innings at an average of 44.00, strike rate of 200 and three fifties. In recent years, the Punjabi Hitter has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and Indian Premier League (IPL) also for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and forms a formidable opening pair with Australian Star Travis Head.
Henry said in recent years scores have risen and batsmen have become fearless in the IPL and in T20s and it is more important than ever to eliminate teams.
“It seems to be a common trend with the batsmen, doesn't it? (Aggressive hitting) that they're coming in very hard, that is, I guess you've seen that in IPL over the last few years, the scores and the way batsmen go about the game, that fearless approach. And I think it goes across the board too.”
“So it keeps us bowlers on our toes. But I think it's great that it opens up opportunities for bowlers. So being able to take teams out is really important. I think that has probably shown that taking wickets is super important to stop those kind of players,” he added.
Henry hailed the depth of India's T20I talent pool and said they would be one of the teams to be defeated in next year's World Cup.
“The depth of that cricket in India in T20s is absolutely incredible and you see it in the IPL and the people coming out and doing incredible things. And you have to cross the board in the bowling department and with the bats. So no doubt it will be a very strong side and obviously they will be one of the teams to beat,” he said. (ANI)
