The touring New Zealand team will be on the back foot straightaway when they arrive in India to play two Tests and a couple of T20 internationals, starting later this month. Unlike previous occasions, there are no warm-up games scheduled for the visitors. The first Test will be held in Hyderabad from August 23.
As a matter of fact, New Zealand played their last series in West Indies that concluded on August 5 with the visitors losing the two-Test series 0-2.u00a0
And coming from completely different conditions, a few warm-up matches could have just made it easier for the Kiwis to get acclimatised to the conditions of the sub-continent.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also seems to have no answer as to why there is no warm-up match scheduled before the series. “It’s true that there are no preparatory matches for the visiting side and I cannot give you any reason for that,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale told MiD DAY yesterday.
A BCCI Tours and Fixture committee source also sounded clueless when asked about the particular matter. “There have been many instances of not having a tour game for the visitors. There is no specific reason for the series. Anyway, New Zealand have just played a full series against West Indies and they won’t be short of match practice,” he said. u00a0
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