Southee vying for another spin-battle against Bangladesh
|| CF DESK ||
New Zealand captain Tim Southee is expecting another heavy spin-battle against Bangladesh in the second Test match, starting on Wednesday.
The subcontinent tracks always proved to be advantageous for the spinners likewise in the first Test match the spinners grabbed 32 wickets and the pacers’ took only 8 wickets.
“Yeah, I think you come to this part of the world, you expect the spinners to play a big role. And we saw that in the first test match and we're expecting similar in the second test match. It's always a battle of spin in this part of the world, and it's what we expected coming here. So, yeah, it's something we are expecting in this second test as well,” Southee said at the press conference.
The captain was disappointed with their 150-run defeat in the first match, however, he opted to take the challenge in the second match.
“It's obviously disappointing, the first game, but chance here to play some better cricket. Different surface, so we're going to have to adapt to that and give ourselves a best chance. So, we're excited. It's a great challenge coming to this part of the world. And we're looking forward to the next five days,” he said.
Despite the loss, the skipper backed his spin-duo Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi stating they are best fit for the side.
“Sodhi and Ajaz are obviously capable spinners. But we went with what we thought was the best side to win that first test match. The last test series that Ish Sodhi played, he was a standout spinner for us. And obviously Ajaz has done a great job for us,” he added.