So far, Tim Southee has made an impression on the One-day series. A bowler who can bat a bit, Southee had returned home before the three-match Test series owing to a grade two ligament strain on the left ankle.
Back for the shorter format, a fitter Southee contributed a piece of statistics for New Zealand cricket in Dharamshala when he became the first No. 10 to score a half century in a one-day international.
In Delhi, Southee’s three timely strikes, especially his right-handed return-catch that sent Mahendra Singh Dhoni back to the hut, proved decisive as New Zealand squared the series ahead of Sunday’s third match.
After posting its first victory of the tour, New Zealand has reasons to be upbeat. On the eve of the match, Southee reflected on the team’s attitude that keeps it hopeful of a better tomorrow.
“I think the strength of our side is that we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves and we don’t get too down of ourselves when the results don’t go our way. We prepare the same way before every match and I don’t think you can let what’s happened in the game before influence the game you are preparing for.
“The team’s spirit is still high. It’s been a long tour, but the guys are still happy. A great group of guys came in a couple of weeks ago and the environment has been good.”
Without elaborating on the preparation, Southee said, “Our preparation has been the same. We know it’s a big match. We’ve got to get used to these conditions as quickly we can, which obviously are different than what they were in Delhi.”
Asked to reflect on the team coping with repeated failures of Ross Taylor on this tour, Southee sounded realistic when he said, “It’s not an easy place (the sub-continent) to come in. He’s had a difficult Test series, but Ross is a class batsman, he has shown that for a number of years. He is still working hard at the nets. Obviously, he’s a bit disappointed. He wants to obviously lead with some runs. We know there is a big score round the corner for him.”
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