"So Used To Bowling On Flat Wickets": New Zealand Coach Surprised By Indian Pacers' Adaptability

New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi is highly impressed with India's raw pace attack which has consistently posed probing questions for home team batters during the first two ODIs where they have been shot out for 185 and 134 respectively. The quartet of Arshdeep Singh, Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj, and Gurnoor Brar have accounted for 17 out of the 20 Black Caps wickets across Auckland and Wellington. "Yeah, they've been really good. They're asking questions of batters and it'll be quite cool for them. They're going into games where the ball isn't flying around, the ball is actually assisting them and then they'll be happy with that," the former wicketkeeper-batter said.

Ronchi was more impressed by the fact that having bowled on flatter sub-continental decks, the young attack have found the right length on conducive surfaces, something that at times can be difficult in terms of adjustment.

"They are so used to bowling on flat wickets, it's realising what is the right length, what's the right line, the ball is swinging a bit (and) how do we bowl the way we want to bowl to make it hard for the batters.

"They've done that really well and they've challenged our batters and taken wickets early and made different impacts in different games, so it's exciting to see when you see younger guys come into the game and perform and try and push their case to be playing more and more and more," Ronchi said.

Ronchi admitted the pace bowling-friendly wickets so far in the ODI series against India will help both teams prepare better for the two-Test series starting on November 19.

"Technically, yeah, they will (prepare better) because that's traditionally what we have here for Test cricket, it's a lot greener surfaces," Ronchi told reporters on the eve of the third ODI.

"In reality, that Wellington surface was more of a Test type of surface, so it's grasping hold of that and realising that, and it will help both teams.”

"At the moment, it's quite cool; the bowlers have actually got the upper hand, so there's nothing wrong with that. Traditionally, you go around the world, especially in India if teams don't make 400 you're in trouble, so it's just ridiculous.

"The bowlers have an opportunity to get some (helpful) conditions but you still have to bowl well on it. Both teams have been doing that, that's a cool thing to see."

The former keeper said that it becomes imperative for batters to shift gears and not worry about scoring rates when the going gets tough on pacer-friendly wickets.

Both the first two ODIs have seen the Indian bowlers utilising the extra bounce and movement off the surface to make early inroads.

“I think both teams have realised that the surfaces probably aren't your traditional one-day wickets, the scoring was higher in the T20s which is it, but these have just been a bit more challenging and it's understanding what a par score might be and what each person does to try and help the team in that space,” Ronchi said.

"The other night, if either team had made 200 batting first, that would have been a massive score, so it's realising that okay, for 10 overs you might be going at two, three (runs) an over, you're actually still going okay."

"It's just trying to stay calm and realise the adaptability of what you need to do in those moments, but they're always continuing conversations because again, tomorrow it might be an amazing wicket and then again, we go to Mount Maunganui, it's a different wicket again,” Ronchi said.

Ronchi backed aggressive opener Tim Seifert to find his rhythm with the bat in 50-overs cricket.

"He hasn't played anything other than T20 cricket for probably two years now so there's just that that tactical challenge, and again the surfaces haven't been (favourable)," Ronchi said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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