NZ vs BAN: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner happy to see batters in form

India Today

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is happy to see his batting order be in form ahead of their match against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy on February 24. New Zealand batters are in form as they defeated Pakistan in their opening match.

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00:00Bangladesh is a very good side. Do you have any specific plan for Bangladesh or any other

00:07cricketer that you're looking for?

00:08We know Bangladesh are a very good side. We've played them a lot in the past. And I guess

00:14here in Pindi it's usually pretty good wicket, so we know they can be quite destructive.

00:19So we've got to be, I think we'll obviously focus on them, but then also focus on ourselves,

00:25things we want to get out of the game and the things we'll be doing well. That's worked

00:28in Karachi. I think we'll have to adapt slightly here with a different surface. Rural Pindi

00:34traditionally may be a little bit more balanced, but it's usually pretty good to bat, so we'll

00:37have to wait and see.

00:46You said Bangladesh is a very good side. Do you have any specific plan for Bangladesh

00:51or any other cricketer that you're looking for?

00:54Yeah, we've got a few plans for Bangladesh, but I think what we, well, obviously we'll

00:59have to wait and see what the wicket does. If it is pretty flat, I think it is probably

01:05similar stuff to what we've been operating in. In Karachi it's hitting that hard length

01:09for a long period of time. And then we know they have some destructive players in their

01:15line-up as well. So I think traditionally it's quite a high scoring ground, so we have

01:18to be on. And then with the bat, yeah, we just talk about trying to build partnerships

01:23and do that out there.

01:34Thank you. This is Akhil Ali Mubarak from Daily Mail. As my colleague has mentioned

01:40already, your team performance, especially the Tri-Nation Series and against Pakistan,

01:46are you thinking that this match, particularly against Bangladesh, wicket is very, look like

01:56a better paradise or will be help to seamers?

02:02I think it will be, well traditionally it can be quite a challenge for the seamers and

02:06spinners and bowlers here. But I think it's, yeah, I think it's about trying to see what

02:12works the best out there. It might be a high scoring ground, it might not, generally it

02:17is pretty good. But I think it's, I guess the bowling unit's job to try and restrict

02:22the best we can. It might not be a 200 wicket, it might be a 300, it might be a good score

02:26to try and chase or whatever we want to do. So I think, yeah, I think what we're quite

02:31good at is adapting and being planned and I think that's what we've got to do tomorrow.

02:38So, what is your tomorrow planning? You know, you know, tell us this is a, Pindy Christianian

02:46pitches are sometimes very good in batting, sometimes are bowling is bouncing. So any

02:50idea, have you planned about a set a target if you're batting first around 350?

02:58I think, obviously you look at the stats and what they say, but I think, you know, I think

03:03what we talk about, especially with the batters, is the communication back to the group. The

03:10guys out there in the middle will have an understanding of how the pitch is playing,

03:14what they think a good score is, and then we'll try to set that up. But again, it might

03:19be, it might change between, you know, first and second innings. It might be, it might

03:24dew up, it might skid on, it might not. So I think it's about, you know, the communication

03:29back to the other guys and what, you know, but again, you know, I think there'll be periods

03:34through the game where, you know, teams can bowl well and you've got to soak it up and

03:37then there might be times where you put the pressure back on the bowling side. So, we'll

03:42have to wait and see what happens.

03:45Just hold until that's stopped.

03:55In recent times, Bangladeshi pace has improved a lot. How do you rate the pace of Bangladesh

04:00and how do you rate the overall team?

04:04I think, yeah, I think they're a very good team at the moment. Like you said, I think

04:08they've always had the spin department covered, but now they've got some, you know, some very

04:13good quick bowlers coming through. You know, Tuscan's done it for a long time now and

04:18the FIS, we know how good the FIS can be and they've got some, you know, Rana's got some

04:24quicks coming through. So, yeah, you know, we've played them a lot home and away, so

04:29I think we're quite familiar and they're obviously pretty familiar with us as well. So, I think,

04:34you know, there's obviously understanding of how the opposition want to operate on these

04:39surfaces and, yeah, I guess applying our plans and just doing it for a long time.

04:47My question to Santosh, that do you think that without Saqib Hasan, Bangladesh is a

04:53little bit weaker than previous, you face Bangladesh? And what about our Mahmudullah

04:59Riyad, he's an experienced guy, like Mushfiq or Rahim, do you have any special plan for

05:05experienced players like Mahmudullah Mushfiq? And must be answer my question about Saqib.

05:13Yeah, obviously, we've seen how good Saqib has been for a long time. I think, yeah, he's

05:21proven that he can perform in all conditions and I think, yeah, I guess, but, you know,

05:26they've got obviously Rashad coming in, who's a very good leg spinner. Mahidi has done it.

05:31Obviously, Mahmudullah, if he plays, can offer some good overs as well. So, I think

05:36their balance is good at the moment. They have guys who can attack with the bat as well.

05:41I mean, Hidroi played a great innings last game and same, Jaka Ali's come on and done

05:48a lot of good stuff already. So, yeah, it's a team we're not taking lightly for sure.

05:53We know we got to be on and on these big events, you know, they can upset any team on their

05:59day. So, hopefully, it's not us.

06:03Mitch, just one question. As a captain at a major event, how nice is it to have basically

06:09a whole top seven in the batting line-up firing?

06:13Yeah, it's a nice position to have. I think, obviously, the lead-in we had with that Tri

06:17Nations series was a good time for guys to get time in the middle and, yeah, I think

06:24at different stages of, you know, every game we've played, different guys have stepped

06:28up, which is probably the most pleasing thing. Yeah, and I think the guys will take a lot

06:32of confidence in that going into, obviously, that first game against Pakistan, but then

06:35also here into Bangladesh. Again, it's probably a reset, it's a different surface, a different

06:41team, but I think, you know, the way the guys have been planning and netting and stuff,

06:46it's all been good stuff.

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