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Brendon McCullum to go for subtle changes to bounce back
The Kiwi batsmen’s vulnerability against the turning ball was ruthlessly exposed by the inexperienced Pakistan spinners in Abu Dhabi during that 248-run defeat. But McCullum said before the start of their final net session on Sunday that his team was confident of staging a fightback.
Brendon McCullum.- Photo by Nezar Balout/ Khaleej Times
Dubai: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum says his team will draw inspiration from their past comebacks to give Misbah-ul Haq’s Pakistan a run for their money when the second Test starts in Dubai on Monday.
The Kiwi batsmen’s vulnerability against the turning ball was ruthlessly exposed by the inexperienced Pakistan spinners in Abu Dhabi during that 248-run defeat. But McCullum said before the start of their final net session on Sunday that his team was confident of staging a fightback.
“When you suffer such a big defeat as we did in the last match, you tend to try to change things overnight. It’s not the right thing to do in my opinion,” the opening batsman said.
“It’s about making subtle changes. When we look back, there was this West Indies series where we lost heavily in the second Test, but we were able to respond to that situation and won the third Test. So obviously we keep talking about those things in the group.”
McCullum admits that he would love to win the toss on a slow surface in Dubai. “It’s going to be a juicy wicket. I mean juicy not for seam but for spin!
“So, yes, the toss is crucial in terms of allowing us to win the game. But if we don’t win the toss, then we have to find a way to win the game. The guys are quite excited about the challenge. They are working hard to make those improvements,” he added.
The aggressive batsman believes mental adjustments are as important as technical adjustments in a tough series like this. “Sometimes it’s about the mental aspect of the game as well. Whether you are playing fast bowling and spin, mental adjustment is a key element. It’s about learning your lessons and the only way you can learn your lessons by going out in the middle and confronting the situation.
“I think our guys have made some slight shifts on how they are going to approach the game and hopefully we will get it right in Dubai. Time will tell whether we will get the rewards, but we are feeling confident.”
McCullum said he didn’t have to worry about the injury problems in the rival camp. “These things happen. But the kind of talent and depth Pakistan has, I am sure the player coming in to replace (Ahmed) Shehzad will perform as well. But yes, Shehzad was brilliant against us and he batted for such a long period. We need to get our game plan ready for the guy coming in place of him.”
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