"If they have an injury, it doesn't seem to affect them like other teams" - New Zealand coach Gary Stead on India ahead of Test series

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has lauded Team India for having tailor-made replacements in case of injuries. Stead also acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge ahead of the Kiwis, given the brand of cricket India play at home.

With Mohammed Shami, one of India's first-choice bowlers in Tests injured since November 2023, Akash Deep has seamlessly taken to international cricket. The right-arm seamer has proved himself as a bona fide wicket-taker in the home series against England and Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the three-match Test series, starting on Wednesday, October 16, Stead was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo:

"If they have an injury, it doesn't seem to affect them like other teams. There's someone else who can come in who is equally adept. They have the mass of numbers they can call but they are also very skillful and are an experienced team with a lot of Test caps. They play a brand of cricket that makes it very difficult for you over here but that's the challenge that's ahead of us."

The Kiwis have won only two Tests in India, the last of which came in 1988 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. New Zealand lost the two-match Test series 1-0 in 2021, while India have not lost a home series since 2012.

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"He recognized he hasn't been at his best" - Gary Stead on Tim Southee

With former Test captain Tim Southee recognizing his struggles over the last 18 months, Gary Stead shared they have been watching the veteran pacer's videos of tasting success in India.

"From my conversations with Tim, he recognized he hasn't been at his best but there's certainly no desire to not get back there. He's working hard in the background, he's doing everything he can and trying to rediscover what that little thing he feels is missing. We've looked back at quite a bit of video from previous years and times he's played in India and had success. It's just trying to rediscover that and find a little bit, I guess you could call it snap back into his action," he said in the press conference.

After Southee stepped down as Test captain, Tom Latham took the role.