(Reuters) – Attacking the Indian spinners is the best possible way to survive against them, according to New Zealand captain Ross Taylor.
The visitors lost by an innings and 115 runs in the first test in Hyderabad with the Indian spin duo of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha sharing 18 of the 20 wickets.
New Zealand were bundled out for 159 and 164 in their first and second innings respectively and need to tackle the spinners better if they are to avoid a whitewash in the two-test series.
“It’s never easy when you lose a test by over an innings,” Taylor told reporters on the eve of the final test in Bangalore.
“We need to forget about it as quickly as possible, talk amongst the group and find ways of playing Ashwin and Ojha.
“We have to be brave and courageous and attack them and hopefully put pressure back on them.
“And when we attack them, there hopefully won’t be many men around the bat.”
Ashwin picked up 12 wickets while Ojha bagged six as the match finished within four days in Hyderabad.
But Taylor ruled out making any hasty changes for the second test.
“We gave them faith in the first game and we’re going to give them a go in the next game as well,” Taylor said.
“We didn’t play as well as we would have liked, but this is another opportunity to show how good we are as a team.”
Taylor’s counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni will just try to stick to the tried and tested formula that worked perfectly for them in Hyderabad. “We don’t need to be overconfident… and whatever we did right in the first test, we have to repeat everything and try to stick to the basics and keep things simple,” Dhoni said.
This is the first test series for India post the retirements of batting stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman and the hosts chose Cheteshwar Pujara and Suresh Raina to fill the vacant spots in the batting order.
While Pujara scored his maiden test hundred, Raina, who averages under 29 in the 16 tests he has played so far, could score only three.
Dhoni threw his weight behind left-handed batsman, who is an integral part of India’s one-day side.
“He has played just one game after Laxman has retired, so we have to give a fair amount of time to every individual who becomes the part of the side,” Dhoni said.
