IND vs NZ | India becoming exponentially better away from home, admits Tim Southee

That the Black Caps have not yet shaken off their miserable tour of Australia was on display when they lost the first T20I to India at Eden Park despite putting up a 200-plus total. However, things got worse in the second match at the same venue in Auckland as India chased down their sub-par total with ease to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

“India have played well. They’re a great side and they’re full of world-class players. The first game is the one that slightly got away on us but we were certainly outplayed in the second game. We know it’s always tough when you play against India and they’re becoming a better and better side away from home as well. We know we need to be on top of our game if we need to beat India,” Southee told PTI on the eve of the third T20.

While the Indian bowling came to the fore as a unit in the second match, it hasn’t been the usual Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma dominance that has shone in the batting department. Instead, Iyer and Rahul has taken the onus on themselves to push back against a decent Kiwi attack. 

“I think you have initial plans for some of the guys who haven’t seen a lot of. And he’s (Iyer) come in and played with freedom. He’s got a great start to the series. He’s obviously full of confidence. As I say, in this Indian side, there’s not one or two guys but the whole side who have quality, not only with the bat but with the ball as well. Those tactics might change as the series goes on as you see more of the players,” Southee added.