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New Zealand battle-ready after 'tough' Pakistan leg: Stead

25 Feb 25

The New Zealand team have arrived in Bangladesh for a two match Test series against the home team as Tim Southee led team came to Dhaka with a full-strength squad geared up for the World Test Championship series. Given the conditions in Bangladesh, the Kiwis have strategically structured their team with a focus on spin bowling.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner returns to the Black Caps' Test squad as Rachin Ravindra, Ajaz Patel, and Ish Sodhi are leading New Zealand's spin attack, with all-rounder Glenn Phillips being the sole off-spinner in the squad.

In the recently concluded World Cup, Phillips consistently contributed with his off-spin bowling to meet the team's requirements. The team is well-prepared to face the challenges posed by the conditions in Bangladesh, and the inclusion of a variety of spin options reflects their strategic approach for success in the upcoming Test series.

There are several left-handed batter in the Bangladesh team and part-time bowler Phillips could be a test for them.

“I'm the only one that's the off spinner, so I'm the only one that's turning it a different way to the other boys. But for me, I think with the lineup of the Bangladesh side with quite a few lefties in there, if I'm involved in it, then it'll be definitely to be able to apply pressure and take the ball away from the bat while the other boys bring it in. So I guess whatever role I'm required to play, I'll go out there and do my best,” Phillips said in Sylhet on Thursday.

This is Phillips’ second visit to Bangladesh as he was here with their U-19 team back in 2016 and now he is ready to play in a familiar condition.

“It's actually my second visit. I was here with the under 19s back in 2016. But I think it's very similar to what we had when we were over here last time. The pitches were really good. As I said, they were a little bit greener than we thought we were potentially going to come up against. But at the end of the day, we still got four days here before the first game. Get everything all lined up and ready for the first game.” he added.