IND vs NZ | Out of sorts India need to find quick answers, admits John Wright
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Former India coach and New Zealand captain John Wright has advised the Indians who were out of sorts during the first Test at the Basin Reserve to find answers quickly. The Men in Blue lost the first match of the series by 10 wickets, with the series finale starting on February 29 in Christchurch.
New Zealand became the first team to beat India in the ICC World Test Championship following seven consecutive wins against West Indies, South Africa, and Bangladesh for the visitors. In fact, the Kiwis are the first team to take any points at all off the No.1 Test side. While it didn’t help that India had inexperienced openers and a middle-order out of form, Wright expects India to fare better at Christchurch, where conditions are familiar.
“India looked out of sorts. It had two new openers and the middle-order found the going tough. It has to find answers quickly. The good thing for the Indians is that their ‘A’ team played in Christchurch recently and Kohli’s side would not be short on inputs about the conditions,” Wright told The Hindu.
Wright is one of the few popular former India coaches, having led the country to a historic Test and ODI triumph in Pakistan in 2004. The Kiwi man also played a crucial part in the development of the Mumbai Indians franchise and was the one who spotted Jasprit Bumrah’s talent. When asked about Bumrah’s struggles in the Wellington Test, and the series in general, Wright said that he believes Bumrah can fight his way through to find his form again.
“He’s coming back after an injury. He’s finding his feet and rhythm again. It can happen to most players. After the highs, there is a plateau. Once you become the lynchpin of an attack, the opposition teams really put you under the scanner and look for methods to cope with your best. Sometimes, they just play you off, not give wickets to you. Bumrah is an intelligent person, and I am sure he will find a way out. He has to fight his way through such periods,” Wright added.
