CHENNAI: New Zealand's ace spinner Mitchell Santner is enjoying splendid form. His fifer helped New Zealand beat Netherlands by 99 runs in their second World Cup game. He was deservedly adjudged as Player of the Match after that win.
With the wickets in India and in particular at Chepauk being spinner-friendly, Santner is expected to play a big role in his country's campaign. Despite his good show against Netherlands, Santner felt that he was not at his best and there was scope for improvement.
"Not too bad, credit to the boys (Kiwi) upfront with the bat, they gave us a nice platform. There was a bit of a hole in the middle but we did well to get past 320. It skidded a bit under lights but we contained them and bowled well. It was nice tonight (Monday), got a lot of purchase, didn't bowl my best tonight but was happy to get the rewards. We hung in and picked wickets in partnerships, we managed to take wickets like we did against England to slow them down," said Santner after the match.
On Friday, New Zealand will be up against Bangladesh at Chepauk and all eyes will once again be on the genial all-rounder. Chepauk is the home ground of Chennai Super Kings and Santner, being one of their key players, will be familiar with the conditions and also enjoy crowd support.
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"Santner is a brilliant all-rounder. A team man. He can bat, bowl and field with equal intensity. A rare talent. He has been bowling brilliantly in the World Cup. Last game (Netherlands), he was spot on. Bangladesh should be wary of him," said L Balaji, former India player, who has coached Santner when he was the bowling coach of CSK.
The wicket for Friday's game is expected to be similar to the one that India and Australia played and would aid spin as the match progresses. "Santner would do well against Bangladesh too. He will enjoy the crowd support too. He is well aware of the conditions and the wicket. So, New Zealand will look to him to deliver," noted Balaji.
In India, bowling all-rounders are the key for a team's success. India depend a lot on Ravindra Jadeja to give vital breakthroughs and also score some important runs. "Santner will play a role similar to that of Ravindra Jadeja in the World Cup for New Zealand. In our home conditions, a spinning-all rounder is an asset. Santner, like Jadeja, will be the key for New Zealand's success, especially in close games. He has the experience of playing in Indian conditions and, importantly, has the ability to win matches with both bat and ball," opined the former Tamil Nadu captain.
New Zealand have won their first two games — against England and Netherlands — convincingly. They'll be intent on maintaining their dominant run. "New Zealand have started with a bang. Surely, they will have an edge over Bangladesh. If they play in the same manner in the coming games, which I am sure they will do, I will not be surprised if they become the first team to qualify for the semifinals," said Balaji.
