Kane Williamson acknowledges the threat Hardik Pandya, Chahal and Kuldeep pose

New Zealand doesn’t have pleasant memories coming back to India, as the lost the ODI series 3-2 last time and were bamboozled by the Indian spinners. The hosts are an even better side this time; they’ve been on a rampant winning streak having defeated Sri Lanka and Australia in the two recent series’. On the other hand, the Black Caps A team lost everything they played in India.

Ahead of the start of the three-match ODI series in Mumbai, Kiwis skipper Kane Williamson accepted that it will be a huge challenge for them to beat the home team. He also pointed out that Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and the wrist spinner duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav are a threat for his team.

Very talented bowlers

“Both (Kuldeep and Chahal) are very talented bowlers. Their exposure in the IPL has been huge for them and pushed their case to play for India. They both have been very successful. We know it will be a tough challenge, but one that guys are looking forward to,” Williamson told reporters in Mumbai where they will play two warm-up matches against the Indian Board President’s XI.

“It’s not too many Chinaman bowlers going around and those coming in have all been fairly successful. It’s a challenge that the guys are looking forward to,” said Williamson referring to chinaman Kuldeep. “Obviously their (Kuldeep and Chahal’s) skill sets are very good, but it’s important how we adapt to the surfaces,” he added.

Pandya a vital player

Hardik Pandya has been the hottest property in the Indian team as he rose to the occasion almost every time against the Australians. “Certainly in the last year or two, he’s been playing outstandingly well. We saw it in the IPL. And even in the series against us, he bowled very well. Now, we’re seeing him come along with the bat and making contributions that any team would be pretty happy to have from their all-rounder,” the 27-year-old said talking about Pandya.

“He’s a very vital player for the Indian side in terms of a fast bowling all-rounder that I suppose in these conditions, it accommodates the spinners so much, but to have a fast bowling all-rounder that bowls good pace and hits it out of the park is always exciting to have,” he added.

They faced the spin twin Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja the last time they were here and now, a different bunch of players. Addressing the players in the Indian ranks Williamson said, “There are so many quality players within the Indian squad and they have been playing so much cricket lately that it’s only natural that certain players are rested at certain times.”

He also mentioned that resting key players is a strategy every team opts for during a busy season. “At times, throughout the summer, when we had busy schedules we did the same thing. It’s impossible for everyone to play all formats all the time because the schedule is so dense. It’s the nature of it, but you always know that the team India put out will be very strong,” the Black Caps captain further added.