Black Caps looking to exploit bouncy track at Hyderabad

HYDERABAD - New Zealand bowlers will be looking to exploit the bounce on the pitch here to put the pressure on the Indian batsmen in the second cricket Test beginning Friday at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor said.

“It will probably have a little more bounce and take more turn. It does not seem to be as flat as it was in Ahmedabad and we are taking a lot of confidence from that,” Taylor said Wednesday.

The stadium is hosting its first-ever Test.

“We are excited by the way we batted and bowled in Ahmedabad,” Taylor said.

“The wicket in Ahmedabad was not very helpful but we are expecting different pitch conditions here,” he added.

New Zealand have won only two Tests in India, the last was in Mumbai in 1988. The visitors were impressive in the drawn first Test at Ahmedabad in the current series.

Taylor said fast bowler Chris Martin, whose five-wicket haul in India’s second innings at Ahmedabad gave a tough time to the hosts, will get a good purchase from the Hyderabad wicket.

“Martin picked those five wickets on a track which had nothing to offer to the bowlers. But the wicket here is fresh and that should help him. Hopefully, Martin will show the form he did in Ahmedabad,” Taylor said.

“We’ve all had a close look at India’s batsmen and bowlers, so we are going to attack them more this time and try and put them under a little bit of pressure.”

“We are all excited by our show but we are not getting carried away.”