New Zealand head coach Gary Stead reckons that it makes the Indian side impervious to injuries unlike others. One of the major reasons behind the Indian team’s dominance across formats is the wealth of the talent at their disposal thanks to a robust domestic setup and shadow tours that groom youngsters and those on the fringes to make the next step needed to break into the national side.
New Zealand Coach Gary Stead is in awe of India’s Bench Strength as no injuries to major players in the squad affects India’s strength coming in the form of new players and with tons of experience in the red ball cricket. Gary Stead said the depth in talent in Indian cricket ensures that the national side remains unaffected by the unavailability of players.
NZ coach Gary Stead lauds India’s injury management ahead of 1st Test
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has lauded Team India for having tailor-made replacements in case of injuries. Stead also acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge ahead of the Kiwis, given the brand of cricket India play at home.
With Mohammed Shami, one of India’s first-choice bowlers in Tests injured since November 2023, Akash Deep has seamlessly taken to international cricket. The right-arm seamer has proved himself as a bona fide wicket-taker in the home series against England and Bangladesh.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the three-match Test series, starting on Wednesday, October 16, Stead was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo:
“If they have an injury, it doesn’t seem to affect them like other teams. There’s someone else who can come in who is equally adept. They have the mass of numbers they can call but they are also very skillful and are an experienced team with a lot of Test caps. They play a brand of cricket that makes it very difficult for you over here but that’s the challenge that’s ahead of us.”
The Kiwis have won only two Tests in India, the last of which came in 1988 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. New Zealand lost the two-match Test series 1-0 in 2021, while India have not lost a home series since 2012.
“He recognized he hasn’t been at his best” – Gary Stead on Tim Southee
With former Test captain Tim Southee recognizing his struggles over the last 18 months, Gary Stead shared they have been watching the veteran pacer’s videos of tasting success in India. Gary Stead revealed former captain Tim Southee, whose position in the playing XI is being debated in the Kiwis camp ahead of the series, is working with footage from previous India tours.
“From my conversations with Tim, he recognized he hasn’t been at his best but there’s certainly no desire to not get back there. He’s working hard in the background, he’s doing everything he can and trying to rediscover what that little thing he feels is missing.
We’ve looked back at quite a bit of video from previous years and times he’s played in India and had success. It’s just trying to rediscover that and find a little bit, I guess you could call it snap back into his action,” he said in the press conference.
New Zealand’s India tour begins in Bengaluru before they fly to Pune for the second Test and then Mumbai for the third and final game. The tourists are in search of their first Test win in India since 1988 but know it’s a task easier said than done given how their hosts are currently on a record winning streak of 18 Test series at home.
New Zealand will be led by Tom Latham who recently took over as their full-time captain after Tim Southee stepped down. Southee’s own form is a cause of concern for the Kiwis and Stead revealed the seasoned fast bowler is going through his old footages from India tour to find what aspects of his game need improvement.