New Zealand ready to ‘adjust’ their game for Afghanistan Test match following red-ball hiatus

New Delhi:  Afghanistan and New Zealand are all set to play a one-off Test match at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex. Ahead of the highly-anticipated clash, Williamson suggested that New Zealand will have to ‘adjust their game’ as they have not played red-ball cricket since their 2-0 defeat against Australia in March.

“I think it’s absolutely about trying to adjust your game because we’re not here consistently in this format and it goes quite long without playing here. So you know it is trying to familiarise yourself again. And for us, our last Test match was 6 or 8 months ago or something,” said Kane Williamson as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“So you know as a team, it’s really about connecting with that again as a red-ball group and looking to apply our skills and plans as well as we can. It will be different,” he said.

Afghanistan on the other hand have made a name for themselves in white-ball cricket. Their impressive outings in both the ODI and the T20 World Cup saw them garner a lot of support not just from their nation but from Indians as well. The Afghanistan cricket team can’t play in Afghanistan due to the ongoing security situation and lack of facilities that meet international standards.

Since 2015, India has supported Afghanistan’s cricket journey by providing access to multiple venues like Dehradun, Lucknow, and now Greater Noida. The BCCI and ACB signed an agreement, which allows Afghanistan to use the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex as their base for international matches. This partnership ensures Afghanistan can keep competing at the highest level.

Williamson, a part of the fabled ‘Fab Four, was also asked about his thoughts on England batsman Joe Root who has been in scintillating form in recent days.

“You mentioned Joe Root, he’s just been something else for some time, and obviously, a lot of the discussion around what he might be able to achieve in a number of years, and it’s just incredible that conversation can even be had. So yeah he has been phenomenal and obviously, I’m a big fan of his and have enjoyed watching not just his but also those other guys you mentioned. Amazing players who have all moved the game forward in a big way,” he added.

–IANS