New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is relieved after registering good figures against India in the first T20 International match at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium. New Zealand won the opening game of the three-match T20I series by 80 runs, where the opening bowler took 3 wickets while conceding only 17 runs in the match. He said after the win, that wasn’t at his best in white-ball cricket throughout the season.
Southee said “A number of guys that needed game time and I know I haven’t been at my best with the white-ball for a while. It’s never nice missing out but just have to make the most of opportunities when you get them. There’s been times in the last year or so I’ve felt I’ve bowled extremely well at times and haven’t got wickets or supported Boulty at the other end.”
“So I guess you’re always looking at ways to get better, always looking at ways to try and improve as a cricketer. So it’s just always [about being] involved in the game and look in a different way so you can get better and looking back to when you were at your best and how you were operating then,” he further added.
After transforming his form from the nets to the game, Southee said, “Any time you get a chance to play, you’re going out there to do your job and your role for the team. It was no different last night. Felt like I’ve been bowling really well in the nets and for me, it was just about transforming that form from the nets to the game. Different when you’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a while and to go out there, there’s obviously excitement, few nerves, but obviously nice way to start the series.”
“Sometimes in T20 cricket, it can feel really nice and your figures can look really different. It was just a part of almost the perfect puzzle last night, the perfect team performance.”
Tim Southee
The second T20I will go underway on February 8 in Auckland’s Eden Park, which has a history of being a high-scoring venue. The lanky bowler is looking forward to play at the ‘noisy’ Eden Park and quoted “Last night was a good atmosphere and I think tomorrow will be an amazing atmosphere too. I think it’ll probably be the first time Eden Park’s been sold out since the 2015 World Cup. Doesn’t happen too often when we play there. Will be a very noisy crowd and one the guys are very much looking forward to.”
The second T20I will be a do or die encounter for Team India after conceding an early lead to the hosts. India is unbeaten in their last 10 T20I series and they would love to touch Pakistan’s run of 11 successive unbeaten series.
