Santner says New Zealand bowlers must adapt ahead of five-match India series

Mitchell Santner said on Wednesday that New Zealand’s bowlers are "trying to catch up" as they prepare for the forthcoming five-match home series against India and that he hopes surfaces will offer some assistance to bowlers.

Santner made the remarks during a virtual interaction and described India’s T20 batting as powerful throughout the lineup, pointing to high scores posted by India against the West Indies on flat pitches. The 34-year-old left-arm tweaker, who leads New Zealand’s white-ball side, said he prefers to see conditions that give bowlers a chance rather than purely flat tracks.

"We know how good India is. It has power all the way through, as we have seen against the West Indies with high scores and on flat pitches. Hopefully, the pitches are not too flat here because we know what India can do in small grounds," Santner said during a virtual interaction on Wednesday.

Santner outlined a tactical approach to blunt India’s batting, insisting wickets at regular intervals are essential. "The only way to stop a team like India is by taking wickets throughout [the innings]. It will be good to take wickets in the PowerPlay even if we go for a few runs. We need to combat the explosive nature of the batters with plans. In the middle overs, we must see if we can go for six singles [in an over] and apply pressure on them," Santner added.

Addressing the broader challenge for bowlers in the shortest format, Santner said: "The batters have adapted faster while the bowlers are trying to catch up. But with the boundary sizes and flat pitches, there is not much we can do."

He acknowledged the difficulty but emphasised the need for rapid adaptation: "But if that is the case, we have to find a way to neutralise a powerful attack. We have to turn up, see what is in front of us and adapt as quickly as we can."

The India tour of New Zealand will be shown live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV starting October 22.