New Zealand are aware of the threat posed by Varun Chakravarthy ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against India, skipper Mitchell Santner said on Saturday, even though the spinner has not played a strong game so far.
New Zealand will take on India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, where over 100,000 fans are expected to be present.
Chakravarthy has not had the same impact in this tournament so far as he has in the past, but Santner says the spinner remains a major threat and can change a game with one performance.
“No, I don’t think so,” Santner said when asked if New Zealand saw an advantage when Chakravarthy was out of form.
“We’ve all seen how good he is. I think the challenge for any bowler is when the pitch is flat compared to when it’s spin or seam.
“But when the weather is flat, I think everyone can bat 60 on a day like this. I think he has to know he’s still a very good bowler. You should know you’re only one game away from changing the situation.”
Santner added that the conditions could affect the bowlers’ performance in the final. He said a flat pitch would make things difficult for the bowlers but a spell could still change the game.
“Yeah, I mean, I haven’t looked at the wicket yet. It’s still under cover. But one can only assume it’s going to be pretty flat and high-scoring,” the New Zealand skipper said.
He said that if the game turns into a high-scoring affair, it will be important to restrict India to a manageable score.
“Ultimately, if things smooth out, like they did the other night, trying to limit India to 220 people instead of 250, that might give us a good chance,” Santner said.
