After a remarkable unforgettable journey in the Australia tour, the Indian cricket team is ready to face the hosts New Zealand in the limited-overs bilateral series, starting on Wednesday (23 January). Prior to the beginning of the five-match ODI series against the hosts New Zealand, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli praised the opposition captain Kane Williamson by calling him one of the best players in the world.

Kohli told the pre-match press conference at Napier, “He’s (Williamson) easily one of the best players in the world. So easy on the eye, great to watch, I really enjoy watching his batting personally and when he is on song, he is the most attractive to watch. He is always going to be a very solid player for New Zealand purely because of what he has done over all three formats and the way he has gone about making those runs. He more or less makes the team win when he makes those runs and I think that tells you about his awareness of the game and hence he’s leading the side and guiding them in the right directions.”

Kohli also added that Ross Taylor is the other important factor for the present New Zealand cricket team. Currently, Taylor is the no.3 ranked ODI batsman who is in a very good form with the bat.

The Indian skipper added, “Kane is always going to be an important factor for them but at the same time you can’t take Ross Taylor or anyone else for granted. But yes, in ODIs, their batting usually revolves around Williamson and Taylor. We are aware of that and we are working on our plans.”

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It is going to be a contest between the no.3 ODI ranked New Zealand and the no.2 ODI ranked India. Remembering their last tight contests in India, Kohli claimed that New Zealand is the well-balanced side in ODI cricket.

Kohli said about the Black Caps side, “The fact that they are the No 3 ranked team in the world speaks about their consistency. We played them recently in India as well and got beaten in Mumbai. They have good balance in their team, a good mix of youth and experience.

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“The bowling attack is experienced and at the same time, not that old. Tim [Southee], Trent [Boult] … all these guys are experienced but they have that energy about them and that something that we always appreciate in the New Zealand cricket team. Just in terms of balance, I think they are one of the most balanced teams in world cricket and that is going to be the biggest challenge for us.”

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While the New Zealand cricket grounds generally allow the high-scoring ODI matches, Kohli feels that the key is not to panic too much in this series. As they are coming after winning the 2-1 ODI series in Australia, Kohli claims that they are looking forward to carrying the momentum.

The Indian captain said, “New Zealand has always had grounds which lead to high-scoring games. The key is not to panic too much. You see 300 runs being put up regularly, you just have to back yourself to get the runs or set a big target if you are batting first. Last time when we played here, we probably didn’t have the composure needed to chase 300+ or close to 300 here.

“We are definitely looking forward to doing the same things that we did in Australia: playing good cricket, believing in our abilities and giving balanced performances every time we step onto the field.”

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Talking about the Indian side, Kohli speaks about the importance of the pace-bowling all-rounders. The Indian captain believes that the all-rounder provides the wider options for any team.

Talking about their team combination for the ODI series in New Zealand, Kohli said, “If you see the strongest sides in the world, they have two all-rounders at the least, some sides have three, so that gives you a lot of bowling options. Only if someone like a Vijay Shankar or a Hardik doesn’t play, then (only) three fast bowlers makes sense. Because if an all-rounder can chip in with a few overs of seam up, then you don’t necessarily need a guy bowling 140kmph as the third bowler along with the two fast bowlers. So whether it’s me backing three bowlers or during Asia Cup, every time it happened when Hardik wasn’t available. We have had to play three fast bowlers. So every time, the all-rounder is there, you are not thinking about a third fast bowler unless you are playing in conditions which are totally against spin bowling.”