Brendon McCullum has been pro-active as the New Zealand captain this season. He has rung in smart changes, created situations, and driven home the advantage.
The 32-year-old McCullum is confident about New Zealand taking its winning momentum from the ODIs on to the Tests.
Speaking at the Eden Park here on Wednesday, McCullum said, “We have played good cricket all through.
“It’s time for us to mark our stamp on the summer in the Tests against India.
“We have strategies for guys w“ho have come into the Test team. We need to execute them.”
Queried about the drop-in pitch for the first Test, McCullum replied, “The pitch has a nice covering of grass. It has a funny look at one end. Expect more bounce and pace from it than in the last Test we played here, against England last year.”
With New Zealand leaving out paceman Doug Bracewell and batsman Jesse Ryder from the XI, Indian-born leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has retained his place.
The selection of Sodhi against India has led to a debate here.
Would it not have been better for New Zealand to have played a fourth paceman instead of a spinner who could go for plenty against India, some asked.
McCullum backed Sodhi. “The pitch has grass on it but we need to pick a team for five days.”
The Kiwi skipper said, “Sodhi is a wrist spinner.
“Even if the pitch does not offer much, he can extract something.”
Pretty talentedOn whether Sodhi could hold his nerve if the Indian batsmen go after him, McCullum said, “We will find out. He’s a young guy, pretty talented.
“We have to be patient with the leg-spinners as well. They don’t have as much control as the finger spinners have. But they have an X-factor about them.”
McCullum was not in favour of Kane Williamson, a part-time off-spinner, donning the role of the lone spinner in a Test match.
“It’s tough to ask a No. 3 batsman to bowl a lot of overs of spin.”
He believed in his pace pack. “We have been bowling well in partnerships, swinging the ball. We can make inroads into the Indian middle-order. We have been hostile against tail.”
The New Zealand captain was conscious of the challenge from Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli.
“Pujara is a quality player, has excellent record. He has been a rock for India at the top of the order. Kohli is among the best batsmen in the world today.”
McCullum added, “But if we bowl and field as well as we have done this summer, we can exploit the not so tough aspects of the Indians’ game.”
The Dunedin-born cricketer felt bowling first could be the right option here. McCullum also hoped the Indian spinners, whether the side played one or two, would not be a threat.
He then encapsulated New Zealand’s commitment.
“Every game we play is an acid test for us.”
