3 New Zealand batters who could benefit from Vikram Rathour's presence for one-off Afghanistan Test ft. Glenn Phillips
Vikram Rathour, former India batting coach, has been added to New Zealand's support staff for their upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan in Noida. New Zealand have also named Rangana Herath as their spin bowling coach for the Afghanistan Test and the following two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Rathour, who played six Tests for India in the 1990s, was part of the coaching team under Rahul Dravid, Herath, on the other hand, retired as the most successful left-arm spinner in history, steps in for Saqlain Mushtaq, who withdrew to take a role with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Rathour can be a great appointment for New Zealand considering their upcoming series in Sri Lanka as well as a series against India.
Here we take a look at three New Zealand batters who could benefit from Vikram Rathour's presence for one-off Afghanistan Test:
#3 Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips had a good series against Bangladesh on spinning tracks where he was the best batter for New Zealand. He had scores of 42, 23, 87, and 40 in four innings in Bangladesh and will be a key player for the Kiwis in this crucial leg for the side.
Vikram Rathour had a massive influence on the likes of Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel and Phillips too is in a similar mould. He likes to take on the spinners and Rathour can tweak his game to make him a far more rounded player as far as his defensive game is concerned.
He averages 33.27 after seven Tests but has shown in the recent games to be a player who can shift pressure owing to his counter-attacking gameplay. Since Rathour has coached similar players with the Indian team, he can play a huge role in Phillips being the main man for New Zealand.
#2 Will Young
Will Young has had a stop-start career so far. Despite being a prolific run scorer in the New Zealand domestic circuit, he has not been able to nail down a spot in the national team. An average of 26 after 16 Test matches is not an apt reflection of his talent and ability and he needs to have a good season in the sub-continent in the middle order.
This is where Vikram Rathour can step in and sort things out - Young has a decent defense and can take on the bowlers when he is in the zone. However, he tends to get stuck against the spinners - an area where he can work closely with Rathour.
He had his moments in Test cricket - seven fifties so far, but this trip to the sub-continent can set him up as New Zealand’s key batter for the next five years. He would benefit from Vikram Rathour’s presence ahead of the Afghanistan Test series.
#1 Rachin Ravindra
One of the brightest players in the world, Rachin Ravindra was earmarked for early success when he shone in his under-19 days.
His breakout moment came at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where he became New Zealand’s leading run-scorer and also the fourth-highest in the tournament - he scored 578 runs in ten innings with an average of 64.22. He will be a key player for New Zealand in this trip across different series and will be under the scanner.
His game against the spinners looks well-organised and he can really benefit under Vikram Rathour who understands how to work with talented players. Ravindra’s game is very similar to Shubman Gill - a free-stroking player and hence, stands to benefit hugely from working with Rathour.