WTC final: New Zealand are India's "real discomfort zone": Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar feels New Zealand are India's "real discomfort zone" as evident from the last Test series between the two nations. The Kiwis and Team India will lock horns in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June.
In 2020, India toured New Zealand to play two Tests. However, the visitors were thoroughly outplayed, losing the games by 10 and seven wickets respectively. With the WTC final taking place at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, Sanjay Manjrekar believes the Kiwis might have an edge, given the conditions in New Zealand and England are similar.
"When in England, all the old gospels of batting resurface—play close to the body, leave that ball outside off, etc. Cricketing conditions in England are similar to those in New Zealand. New Zealand, well, that’s India’s real discomfort zone as was evident in how India lost the last Test series there. The highest score India could get in the three Tests was 242. To be fair, New Zealand themselves struggled but they were a little better than India in batting and a great distance better in bowling," Manjrekar wrote in his column for the Hindustan Times.
Moreover, New Zealand are also set to play two Tests against England prior to the World Test Championship final next month. The matches will help the Kiwis prepare better for the challenge that India will pose on June 18.
Sanjay Manjrekar picks India's 2 game-changers with the bat for the WTC final
Sanjay Manjrekar picked Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant as the two Indian batsmen who could change the course of the WTC final. Manjrekar highlighted how Kohli loves a contest and is usually able to bring out his 'A game' in Tests when the stakes are high.
"Virat will be India’s game changer with the bat.Tests just seem to get the best out of him, so there is no reason to expect anything different. Virat too does not enjoy the slow, seaming conditions of the NZ kind but he knows England would be a better version of what he encountered a year ago in NZ,” Manjrekar added.
Adding further to the matter, Manjrekar warned New Zealand against taking Pant lightly.
"Game changer No. 2 with the bat will be Rishabh Pant. The number that he bats at, if New Zealand think they are through with the Indian batting after picking the top 5 they would have made the biggest mistake that could cost them the game,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
India have failed to beat New Zealand in their last six Tests away from home. However, the Asian giants will be feeling confident ahead of the WTC final, given the way they dismantled Australia and England earlier this year in the longest format.