Lincoln A Fantastic Place For India A To Do Tests Prep, Don’t Get Spooked By Green Tops, Says Pamment

The Bert Sutcliffe Oval:  The Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln is the ideal setting for India's Test top-order batters to find their feet in New Zealand, and that they must not be unsettled by the green pitches awaiting them, said former New Zealand assistant coach James Pamment.

India A begin their red-ball series against New Zealand A at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval on Saturday, and Pamment, who also worked as fielding coach of five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians, believes it is the perfect stepping stone for a group largely new to the country.

"They're playing their two games at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln University, aren't they? So, it'll be very, very similar conditions and very similar atmosphere to when they play at Hagley Oval. Different clay in Wellington and very green wickets for Test matches in Wellington.

"Sometimes teams get spooked by the greenness of the wicket, but it actually doesn't seam around too much. It gives great pace and great bounce. So, that's what they'll have to bear in mind, that the wickets that they're preparing on in Christchurch will be a little bit flatter.

"They might seam a little bit more and then flatten off. But what they'll experience in Wellington is very green wickets, but a little bit more pace, bounce and not as much movement. So, it will be important."

"Take the brave option would be my encouragement to those guys and make sure they're starting that in their preparation down at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, which is a fantastic ground to be doing your preparation, especially if you've never played in New Zealand before. It's a nice environment just to make that transition," Pamment told IANS in an exclusive conversation.

The stakes explain why the A team fixtures matter so much. The Shubman Gill-led side faces a very tough examination when the two-match Test series starts on November 19, in a country where India have won just two series in 58 years.

Only three players in the current Test squad - Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah - have played a Test match previously in New Zealand. With the series happening in November, well before the peak of the New Zealand summer comes, it means conditions will favour seamers more.

At least nine members of the Test squad – KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Jurel, B Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj and Pant (subject to recovering from left side strain), are lined up for three red-ball matches between October 24 and November 10 and need to acclimatise to conditions if they are to excel in the Test series.

Pamment stressed that mindset would matter as much as technique for the visiting batters. "I understand that there are four or five of those guys that are playing in the first three ODIs and will then step across and start some preparation for the Test matches, as is the same with the New Zealand team. Seven of the New Zealand players will step out of the fourth and fifth ODIs and start their preparation for the Test match in Basin Reserve.

"But I think it's really important that they don't get spooked by the green wickets. That's the most important thing and that they remain positive and they try and take the game on and, and advance it rather than thinking, 'Oh, it's green wickets. We're going to have to fiddle around here and try and survive.'"

There is plenty riding on the outcome too. India sit fifth in the World Test Championship standings and need a 1-0 or 2-0 result to keep their hopes of a final berth alive. When India won 1-0 in 2009, their top-order amassed 899 runs in three Tests, with two centuries and five fifties.

Current head coach Gautam Gambhir had batted out for 643 minutes and 436 balls for making a magnificent 137 runs, to save the Napier Test. But in the 2014 and 2020 tours, India’s top-order didn’t replicate those dazzling efforts and suffered series defeats.

Onus will be huge on Rahul, Jaiswal and Padikkal to get big runs, especially with New Zealand’s top-order averaging 45.03 in Tests at home since 2024. On the bowling combination, especially with Bumrah and Jadeja present, Pamment was clear that India should resist the temptation of an all-pace attack.

"I think you definitely have to play a spinner. For sure you have to play a spinner because if the game in Wellington does go the distance a little bit longer - sometimes games are finished in the third, or even the second and third days. But I think with quality batting, if you approach it with accuracy and, like I say, with bravery, then the game can go deep.

"So, you always need to play a spinner and I don't think they need to just go for a total seam attack. I think it's definitely 3-1 would be my recommendation and somebody like Jadeja obviously is an all-rounder as well. Then, you do lengthen your batting, but I think three seamers is a good one.

He also felt the presence of seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy can help balance India’s ideal playing eleven. "That all-rounder is the key as well - if you can have a middle-order all-rounder who can bowl a little bit of seaming balls.

“Somebody like Nitish Kumar Reddy in the middle order, and then Jadeja just allows you to play those three specialist seamers, one specialist spinner and an all-rounder. That's the right balance and I think that's probably the balance that New Zealand might look to go in with as well."

New Zealand's edge at home has often come as much from their batters' comfort on seaming surfaces as from their bowling. Even so, Pamment warned that bounce would be the biggest test for the Indian batters, with Matt Henry leading a demanding and relentless fast bowling unit.

"Matt Henry has been one of the world's best bowlers in Test match cricket over the last two or three years. He's found very consistent line and length - very demanding, moves the ball, swings the ball, and seams the ball.

“With (Kyle) Jamieson, it's bounce and some of the other guys who are potentially likely to be involved as well. It could bounce if they go for, let's say Jacob Duffy, who was the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand for all formats over the last calendar year and so it could be him.

"Blair Tickner's another one with bounce - so that's the thing that they were going to have to be able to combat is the bounce. It'll be slightly different from Wellington to Christchurch. But those New Zealand bowlers will be demanding and India can probably think themselves a little bit fortunate that New Zealand have decided to rest William O'Rourke."

O'Rourke has been kept out with an eye on the Test series against Australia that follows soon after they are done with matches against India. "He's not going to be available because he's being conditioned to be ready for the Australian series, which follows on after the Indian series. So, he's a big miss for New Zealand.

“But they're obviously trying to make sure that he's ready for Australia. It'll be demanding, and there's obviously a number of other bowlers as well around that group. They haven't named their team yet, but when they do, I think the seamers will come from that crop.

“Nathan Smith's another one - not quite as tall as some of the other ones, but Nathan is very accurate. Obviously, he does move the ball laterally as well and generally gets into a very consistent line and length. So, the Indian boys will have to be very proactive when facing him because you just can't allow those guys just to get into the groove and bowl consistent ball after ball after ball. You have to be proactive and the Indian guys will know that."

With the WTC final spots at stake, Pamment said the hosts were well placed going into a demanding stretch. "Obviously, it's a pivotal time. New Zealand are sitting in a pretty good position, but they're playing India at home and then Australia away. So, two incredible challenges and if they can come out with positive results in those two series, it'll really stand them in good stead.

"So, really exciting times to be a New Zealand spectator, supporter and obviously a player as well to play against India and then going to Australia straight away. So, a lot of excitement around that. India has got a little bit of work to do, but hey, they have the quality."

With the WTC final spots at stake, Pamment said the hosts were well placed going into a demanding stretch. "Obviously, it's a pivotal time. New Zealand are sitting in a pretty good position, but they're playing India at home and then Australia away. So, two incredible challenges and if they can come out with positive results in those two series, it'll really stand them in good stead.

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Article Source: IANS