Correspondent, 20 October: Verbal exchanges have commenced ahead of the upcoming T20 series between India and New Zealand. Upon arriving in New Zealand for the tour, India's 15-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi received a direct warning from Kiwi fast bowler Jacob Duffy.
The opening T20 match of the series is scheduled to be played in Christchurch on October 22. While speaking to the media following a practice session ahead of the game, Duffy issued a clear caution regarding the youngster. "If he does not maintain patience, he will not be successful in New Zealand," Duffy stated.
The fast bowler also acknowledged the young batter's skills. He noted, "Vaibhav has immense talent and has left his mark in the IPL. His strike rate is around 250 and he bats rapidly." However, Duffy emphasized that playing in New Zealand for the first time will present challenging conditions, adding that the Kiwi bowlers have a complete plan prepared for him.
Discussing the local pitches, Duffy remarked, "Although India recently scored 250 runs in T20, it won't happen in New Zealand. Scoring even 170 to 190 runs here will be difficult." He further specified that the New Zealand bowling attack will deploy a short-ball strategy against the Indian batters to capitalize on the extra bounce available on the pitch.
India heads into this series with a highly impressive record in New Zealand. During Team India's previous tour to the country, they won the T20 series 1-0. Prior to that, in the 2019-20 season, India defeated New Zealand 5-0 in a five-match series on their home soil. Consequently, New Zealand has lost six consecutive matches against India at home. With the series starting in two days, it remains to be seen whether Vaibhav will get a chance to play.
