We can't change the wicket, but will find a way to take 20 wickets & score a few runs: Mitchell

The second Test in Pune is set to offer a low-bounce black-soil surface but New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell said his team will try to adapt and find a way to “take 20 wickets and score a few runs”. The Black Caps seamers got perfect conditions on day one of the Bengaluru Test and dismantled India for just 46 in the first innings. The hosts tried to stay in the second innings but eventually lost by eight wickets.

"One thing we can't do is we can't change the surface. So for us, it's reacting to what's coming at us and adapting on the fly. We as Kiwis, that's what we pride ourselves on, we get stuck into the moment, we stay where our feet are and we be as present as possible. We can't change the wicket. What will be, will be. But I'm sure we'll come up with a plan and find a way to take 20 wickets and hopefully score a few runs as well,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Mitchell as saying.

Mitchell, who scored 18 runs in the first Test, hasn’t been in great form of late. The right-handed batter scored a century against Sri Lanka in March 2023 but since then has scored 389 runs across 15 innings at a mediocre average of 27.79. He only has three 50-plus scores in this period.

"Look, that's the nature of the game that we play, especially Test cricket. You know, you have little patches where you score a lot of runs and you have patches where I guess you get starts and you want to keep trying to convert. So, look, for me, I just love playing for New Zealand. It means a hell of a lot to pull on that baggy and play Test cricket. And I know that if I keep doing my job for the team, then personal milestones and things like that will take care of themselves."

Mitchell also heaped heavy praise on Rachin Ravindra, Will Young and William O'Rourke. The three young guns played major roles in New Zealand’s first win in India in 36 years. Ravindra slammed 134 off 157 in the first innings and then hit 39* off 46 in the final innings. Young registered scores of 33 off 48*, while O'Rourke claimed seven wickets in the game.

"Youngie and Rachin have been around our group for a long time even though they haven't played a lot of cricket. They've been able to see how the culture works and how we want to go about playing as Black Caps. And they've fitted seamlessly into their roles.

"Will O'Rourke, he's a young talent. He's from my domestic team back home, so I've had to face him plenty of times in the nets and it's not much fun. So look, he's a great talent and I'm sure he'll continue to do amazing thing for New Zealand in the future.

"He's a big unit first of all. He's tall, he bowls from a height but he also can get the balls to go both ways which is always a challenge especially in Christchurch at Hagley (Oval). There's a bit of bounce in those wickets, so as you can imagine it can be quite tough at times. "But yeah look, he's first of all a great man as well. He doesn't say a lot but when he does it's pretty funny and yeah, he's good to have around."

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