A respectable side, on and off the field

As a group we have grown a lot, says New Zealand skipper Williamson

October 31, 2017 10:20 pm | Updated 10:20 pm IST - NEW DELHI

Trent Boult.

Trent Boult.

It may have narrowly lost the ODI series, but there was no disgrace for the New Zealand team. The side was just as dignified at a special reception organised by the New Zealand High Commission here on Monday evening. The Kiwi players, who had arrived only a couple of hours before in the city, were on time, at their polite best and easy to talk to.

Former pace bowler Simon Doull made sure to mention this while moderating a brief panel discussion. “It’s a nice thing to hear about this New Zealand side in the last 5-6 years, the way they are portrayed and seen around the world now. On how nice and good this side is, on the field, without going overboard or over the top, and how good it is off the field as well,” Doull said.

And while it was more of a business interaction, the focus stayed firmly on the game.

Captain Kane Williamson, asked about his growth in the job in the past 18 months, threw it back to Doull — “It’s up to you really, you are the one who talks about it it,” he said — before explaining further.

“As a group we have grown a lot. Some of the guys have been around for a long time now. It’s not just me, all the guys have taken a lot of ownership there,” he said.

Ross Taylor, who has stayed back after being included in the T20 side, said the motivation to continue playing was because his “kids go to a private school”.

Learning curve

Fast bowler Trent Boult said the series had been a huge learning curve so far and spoke about how to handle the pressure of expectations.

“The best thing to do is to not listen to it, got other things to do than listen to the likes of yourself (Doull) talking about me.”

With Taylor around as the senior pro in the side, comparisons with Virat Kohli’s consultations with M.S. Dhoni inevitably came up and Williamson admitted it was a big help.

“It’s always a great help to have guys to lean on. I think as a player, if you can get ideas of the other senior players on field it helps be a bit more relaxed.

“Part of a team operating well is how you handle the people around you,” he added.

The biggest applause was reserved for Tom Latham who, as Doull suggested, has become the “most talked about player on the tour and the least talked about before coming here”.

The wicketkeeper, who usually opens and was moved to the middle-order in the ODIs, said he relished playing the sweep shot, especially against spin and admitted being behind the wickets helped read the conditions well.

“We have chased here twice so you get a good read on how the pitch is playing as a wicketkeeper in these conditions with variable bounce. But these are some of the toughest conditions to play,” Latham explained.

Asked about the adjustments in the side between formats, Williamson was clear.

“I actually try not to think or tinker too much, I think simplicity is the key. Playing across the country in the IPL should put us in good stead, but playing against a quality side like India, hopefully we will go one better than the ODIs,” he said.

One little piece of trivia which the Indian team might want to change on Wednesday here — India has not won a T20 International against New Zealand.

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