Wellington, Oct 27 (IANS) Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy reflected on the healthy competition in the Indian middle order, which feeds off each other as they keep stepping up in crucial situations.
India’s middle order has been key to their wins in the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand, first helping them chase a record 226 in the opener and then guiding them to an 181-run chase in the second in tricky conditions.
“I mean, of course, there will be competition,” Nitish said ahead of the third T20I against the Kiwis at the Hnry Stadium in Wellington. “It will be healthy competition, I would say, because if you’re having a healthy competition, then if Naman is scoring, if Tilak is scoring, I will be eager to wait for my turn to score as well.
“When they don’t score, when I’m scoring, they’ll be eager to wait for their chance to score. So that’s how a team sport grows, and that’s how I would say a healthy competition looks,” he added.
Speaking on India’s success in the ongoing series, the all-rounder highlighted that adapting to the situation has been key. “It’s simple, I think staying in present and reading the situation well, because you know you have played a lot of cricket in India but not in New Zealand.
“It’s just when you come to New Zealand, you have to read the situation well and according to that, you have certain plans and certain strengths to your gameplay, and you have to apply them. That’s it,” he stated.
India have a 2-0 lead in the five-match series and are looking to seal the series in the third match in Wellington, where they opted to bowl and headed with an unchanged side. Meanwhile, New Zealand made three changes to their Playing XI for the must-win clash. Injured Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson sit out, while Nathan Smith has also been dropped, with Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne getting included.
–IANS
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