What challenges await India’s Test side in New Zealand? Santner explains

Mitchell Santner calls Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ODI masters ahead of India’s New Zealand tour, discusses the Test challenge and explains the two-Test format.

Nagpur: New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner during a training session ahead of the first T20I match between India and New Zealand, at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, in Nagpur. (File Photo: PTI)

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Beating India at home will take priority over World Cup experimentation for New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner when the teams meet in a five-match ODI series later this year. Standing in the hosts’ way will be Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two batters whose familiarity with New Zealand conditions has left Santner wary.
 
India’s October-November tour will comprise five ODIs, five T20Is and two Tests, bringing together preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup and the pursuit of World Test Championship (WTC) points.
 
Kohli and Rohit, who now represent India only in the 50-over format, will feature in the ODI leg. Santner expects their experience to make them difficult opponents.
  
“It is going to be a challenge. They are still very good players as we have seen for a long time; masters of the ODI game. They have taken a liking to some New Zealand pitches in the past. Hopefully, not this time around,” Santner told news agency Press Trust of India in an interview. 

 
Winning first, World Cup combinations next
 
The ODI series will give both teams an extended opportunity to assess their combinations before the World Cup. Santner, however, made it clear that identifying the right personnel would not overshadow New Zealand’s immediate ambition of winning the series.
 
“(But) first things first, you want to win a series against India at home, which would be an awesome thing. Then it is (about) trying to find what the make-up might look like come October next year,” he said.
 
Outlining New Zealand’s preparations, Santner pointed to the five India ODIs, three home matches against Sri Lanka and a visit to England in September 2027 before the World Cup.
 
With limited games available, he said teams would have to use those opportunities to work out their preferred combinations.
 
“It is going to be a great series, no doubt. It is all a lead-up for the World Cup next year in ODIs. Everyone is trying to figure out their best team; what that might look like for October next year with limited games.” 

 
Unfamiliar pitches await India’s new Test players
 
The focus will shift sharply after the white-ball contests, with two Tests in November presenting a different challenge for India’s changing red-ball side.
 
Santner believes some Indian players could find themselves adjusting to unfamiliar pitches on their first red-ball assignment in New Zealand. His advice was straightforward: Adapt quickly.
 
“For a new-look India side, it is probably going to be the first time some players have been playing red-ball (cricket) in New Zealand, where the pitches will be a little bit foreign. They will probably do a bit more than they might do back home.”
 
The teams’ previous Test series ended in a historic 3-0 victory for New Zealand in India, halting the hosts’ unbeaten home run of more than 12 years and 18 series.
 
Santner was central to that success, returning figures of 7 for 53 and 6 for 104 in Pune to secure the series with a match remaining. 

 
India’s bowling depth earns Santner’s backing
 
Despite the adjustment awaiting India’s less experienced players, Santner sees balance in their Test resources.
 
He highlighted the prospect of Jasprit Bumrah returning to an attack featuring Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, whose bounce could offer another dimension. He also named Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar as spin options, alongside the possibility of a fourth seamer.
 
“If you look at their squad, it is a very well-rounded squad,” he said.
 
Santner expects conditions to demand flexibility from batters, with attacking play useful at some stages and patience necessary at others.
 
“It could be trying to fight fire with fire, playing your shots. There might be times we need to sit back and let the bowlers go for a bit, try to get the shine off the ball,” he said.
 
“There is a lot that can go on in the Test matches in New Zealand. It is going to be an exciting series and one that we can’t wait for.”
 
Why does the tour feature only two Tests?
 
The contrast between 10 white-ball matches and two Tests reflects both scheduling considerations and the economics of cricket in New Zealand, according to Santner.
 
“For a long time, New Zealand played two-match series. There’s obviously the money side of it as well,” he said.
 
“I know it costs a lot to play Test cricket. (It is about) timing as well; white-ball brings in the crowds in New Zealand, it brings the money. That’s why I guess it is the 10-2 split.”
 
The shorter Test series will nevertheless carry significance for both teams because of the WTC points available.
 
For New Zealand, it also begins a substantial stretch of red-ball cricket. Santner said the team would head straight to Australia afterwards for four Tests, offering an opportunity to strengthen their position in the championship.
 
Before that, the hosts must manage the transition from an extended white-ball contest against India to the demands of Test cricket.
 
European league offers a different challenge
 
Santner is currently captaining Edinburgh Castle Rockers in the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL), where his team have moved to the top of the table with five wins and one no result from six matches.
 
He credited contributions across the squad, continuity in selection and local players’ understanding of conditions for the strong start. The team had assembled only three days before the tournament began.
 
“Boys are gelling nicely on and off the field, which is nice. It’s great for the local boys, the Scottish, Irish and the Dutch boys to rub shoulders with some international players,” he said.
 
Adjusting to hybrid pitches has been another part of the experience, particularly in The Hague, where Santner said lower bounce had encouraged a stump-to-stump approach.
 
Beyond results, he sees the competition as an opportunity to bring cricket to a wider audience while continuing to prioritise representing New Zealand.
 
“Growing the game is the most important part. It’s a very untapped market in Europe for cricket. If that takes off, that is going to be awesome,” he said.
Topics :India vs New ZealandIndia cricket teamNew Zealand cricket teamCricket News

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First Published: Sep 08 2026 | 1:45 PMIST

Source: www.business-standard.com