You can’t come to the subcontinent without a strong element of spin in your armoury — to bowl or to tackle. The emphasis on spin reiterates the two aspects of international cricket: the spin-dominant subcontinental variety, and all seam and bounce outside the subcontinent.
Cricket teams travelling to India have always been prudent in picking their squads. They have included strong players of spin and effective slow bowlers. The current New Zealand squad is no exception. The visiting team has Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Jeetan Patel, the last-named flying in as replacement for fellow off-spinner Mark Craig.
Santner was New Zealand’s biggest positive in the Kanpur Test which India won by 197 runs. He earned respect with his left-arm spin and also knocked off runs, rekindling memories of Daniel Vettori, that smiling assassin who boasts of an enviable career record of 362 Test and 305 ODI wickets, apart from six centuries in the longer version of the game.
Vettori read the Indian pitches as well as Australian legend Shane Warne. In eight Tests and three tours of India, Vettori claimed 31 wickets (44.71 average). Warne’s tally in nine Tests spread over three tours was 34 wickets (43.11 average). It was an era of spin domination across the world.
In his autobiography, Vettori asks why would “you want to bowl fast in India” as the pitches are “lifeless and unhelpful.”
Lamenting the lack of support for spinners in his country, Vettori speaks of New Zealand exploring avenues to tackle this lacuna.
That the slow bowler is king in India is Vettori’s conclusion.
Santner’s presence gives New Zealand hope in the upcoming matches. It must delight the team management that Santner became the first New Zealand player since Vettori to score more than 100 runs and take five wickets in a Test in five years. Vettori accomplished the feat on five occasions.
In the Kanpur Test, he made 32 and 71 apart from a haul of three for 94 and two for 79, earning praise from skipper Kane Williamson.
“He played outstandingly well. It’s his first time in this part of the world playing Test cricket and it was a great step in the right direction.
“We all know he has got the talent with bat and ball and in the field, to apply himself like he did and bowl a number of overs and be successful against good players of spin. It was a huge positive for us. He’ll look forward to the next one and I’m sure he’s learned a lot from this experience.”
Effective reinforcementPatel’s arrival gives Santner the comfort of having a partner who comes on the strength of good form. Patel may have an average of only 48.46 in Test cricket but arrives with the reputation of being a leading wicket-taker (69 wickets) in the English County championships this season. Vettori too has gone on record to say that Patel is more talented than he — a significant comment coming from one of the finest spinners from outside the subcontinent.
Shades of Vettori in Santner? Too early to conclude but there is promise. At 24, Santner has time and age on his side.
He has not even completed his first year in Test cricket but is already an integral part of the New Zealand squad.
He has the potential to develop into a force to reckon with.
A call to Bishan Singh Bedi could help.
