Can New Zealand tangle India in a web of spin at Kanpur?

Mitchell Santner (Left) in a practice session with Ish Sodhi

India have been known to produce rank turners whenever they play an overseas team at home. With the New Zealand Test series starting from Thursday it is possible that it will be quite the same.Though the Green Park curator Shiv Kumar has said it will be a sporting pitch where there will be something for the bowlers, Indian pitches do not generally hold firm after the first two days.

“I am preparing a wicket which will have ample opportunity for batsmen and spinners. A spinning track in the series opener will give India the perfect start and the Kiwi batsmen will have to apply themselves to stay at the wicket as it is going to be a slow turner again,” Kumar had told Hindustan Times a few days back.

New Zealand too will be wary about how quick a flat looking strip can turn into a dust bowl in India and therefore might be tempted to go into the match with three frontline spinners. This has only happened once before in this century.They had won that match and that may provide some comfort for skipper Kane Williamson and coach Mike Hesson who surveyed the Kanpur wicket on Monday which already had cracks on it.

All-rounder Jimmy Neesham’s rib injury has almost made it certain that the visitors will opt for a three-pronged spin attack consisting of Mitchell Santner, Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi. Last year playing on square turners India romped to a 4-0 series win against South Africa. But can they repeat the same?

 Maybe, given the fact it is their home conditions but it won’t be a cakewalk for sure. India are also likely to have a three-spin attack of Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja for the game. Like the Black Caps the hosts have a left-arm orthodox, right-arm orthodox and a leg-spinner. And if there is turn and bounce one would back each side to pick 20 wickets needed for a win.

It was almost two years ago that Sodhi and Craig joined left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori in his last Test as New Zealand crushed Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs.Craig bagged 10 wickets in the game as the spinners together snared 15 Pakistan wickets. But this game was just after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes' death so most players were distracted and therefore the match may not be a form guide.

The last time New Zealand had played three frontline spinners in a Test was 18 years back which shows that they have lacked quality spinners in their lineup. Then, it was Vettori who had partnered Paul Wiseman and Mark Priest in Colombo with the series locked at 1-1. New Zealand lost the match to Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 164-runs. Even in Sydney in 1985 and Hyderabad in 1984 a combination of three spinners could not win it for them.

New Zealand last won a Test in India 28 years back 

The last time New Zealand had clinched a Test against India some 28 years back, they had only one spinner in their XI, John Bracewell. The tweaker played a key role in the game as he grabbed figures of 6-51 in the second innings at Mumbai. The legendary Richard Hadlee was the other major contributor with the leather picking up 10 in the match.

Since that game in 1988 New Zealand have played 14 Tests and have won none of them. They have only two wins from 31 Tests and thus the India tour is a tough trip for them.

Coach Hesson might find it difficult to understand the pitch in Kanpur as very little cricket has been played on it in the last few years. In the last Test which was played here in 2009, India had scored a massive 642 runs and then bowled Sri Lanka out twice to earn a victory. Spinners Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh had shared nine wickets in between them then.  

But the question remains as to what is possibly the best combination for New Zealand. If they choose to go ahead with three spinners that would mean that only one among Trent Boult or Neil Wagner will be picked as the seamer. But then does this line-up give the Black Caps the best chance for victory?

Craig has only featured in one Test for New Zealand out of their last six but has been quite successful in the subcontinent. Santner and Sodhi, on the other hand, floored India with their turn and bounce in the World Twenty20 in March.

However, the trio recently featured in a warmup contest in Delhi and was way below par conceding 464-8 against Mumbai. The last time New Zealand were here in 2012 the wrecker in chief for India was Ashwin who had picked 18 wickets in Hyderabad and Bangalore. The likes of Sodhi and Santner will now pray that they can replicate the same.