‘Expecting spin to play big part’

Wary of spin friendly surface in the tournament-opener against India, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said adapting to the conditions will be a big challenge for his side in the World Twenty20, here on Tuesday.

New Zealand had struggled against England spinners in their warm-up game as well.

“We certainly are expecting spin to pay a big part in this tournament. I suppose judging by the warm-up games in Mumbai, they had a bit for the seamers and it swung a little bit. They were very good surfaces but from what cricket we have seen here in Nagpur, spin looks likely to play a big part. It’s important that we adjust our game plans accordingly,” Williamson said.

“Whenever you play around the world, you need to adapt to different conditions. As you say, we have been playing a bit of cricket at home, it is important that we make those adjustments coming into this tournament. We have had some good preparations in the UAE and in Mumbai as well. But at the same time, whichever ground you play around India, the conditions can be slightly different, so we have to assess those again on Tuesday,” he added.