New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham stated that India has benefited from playing major tournaments in familiar conditions in the subcontinent. Neesham pointed out that conditions have been suitable for sub-continental teams in recent years and added that the upcoming tournaments are expected to follow a similar pattern.
India will host New Zealand in a five-match series ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February and March. The series will be a crucial opportunity to refine combinations ahead of the upcoming event. New Zealand will have the opportunity to adapt to conditions on the subcontinent.
I won’t talk about it before the tournament – James Neesham
James Neesham said he did not want to reveal any tactical secrets ahead of New Zealand’s tour of India. Neesham stated that it is difficult for visiting teams to beat top sides like India at home, but adapting to local conditions will be a key focus for the Black Caps.
“If there is a tactical plan, I won’t talk about it before the tournament, that’s for sure. They have obviously had some good results over the last few years, which helps that there have been a few tournaments in very favorable conditions for teams from the subcontinent,” said Neesham as quoted by Hindustan Times.
“This tournament will be no different in that respect. It’s difficult to topple strong teams in their conditions and we’ll be talking about that a lot in the coming weeks during that series,” he added.
We had no cricket as a lead-in – James Neesham
James Neesham said the upcoming series against India is valuable preparation for the World Cup. He stated that New Zealand will still strive to compete hard and win matches, but the bigger focus is on using the games to prepare for the World Cup by finding the right combinations and clear roles.
“You don’t necessarily have to focus on that series, it’s still international cricket, you still want to perform well and win games, but it’s no secret that it’s a bit of a preparation for the World Cup as a result of that,” Neesham continued.
“As much as we look at the Indian team and the tactics, it is about finding our own combinations and feeling comfortable as a team because we did not have a single cricket leader in the run-up to the 2024 World Cup in the West Indies.”
“It was a challenge to decide the tactics for our own game rather than what our opponents were doing. We have learned our lessons and we are going to get started with a lot of cricket. I am looking forward to getting there and getting together with a bunch of guys who have a lot of experience playing together,” he added.
We have no control over the… – James Neesham
James Neesham said New Zealand face a tough draw at the upcoming World Cup, where they are grouped with South Africa and Afghanistan. Neesham described it as another challenging group, but added that teams have no control over group decisions.
“It’s a tough group, we don’t have any control over the draw of the pools for world events. It would be nice to be in that position, but we have to play with the cards we’re dealt. We were also in a tough group at the 24th World Cup, so there were a few tournaments going on, which is interesting,” said Neesham.
New Zealand has been placed in Group D for the T20 World Cup, alongside South Africa, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and Canada.
They will start their campaign in Chennai, where they will face Afghanistan on February 8, followed by a match against UAE on February 10. New Zealand will take on South Africa on February 14 before playing their final group stage match against Canada on February 17.
Also read: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in 2026: India’s entire cricket schedule revealed
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