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Daryl Mitchell of New Zealand react after scoring a hundred during the 2nd ODI match between India and New Zealand at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, India, on January 14, 2026. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
Even though India’s spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav failed to make much of an impact in the 2nd ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell said that the Indian tweakers will come good.
“Kuldeep and Jadeja are world class bowlers. They find ways to put pressure on us and they’re some of the best spinners going around. We were lucky enough to build partnerships and find ways to put pressure on them. I’ve also seen them tear through teams in the past,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell, the player of the match for his 131*, helped guide the Kiwis to a 7-wicket series-levelling win on Wednesday, also opened up on how he prepared for the tracks of the Indian subcontinent.
“There’s been plenty, plenty mornings in the marquee down in the South Island in Lincoln on some prepared dusty wickets to try and find ways to come up with game plans in this part of the world,” Mitchell told reporters.
“That’s the stuff that a lot of people don’t see…the work that you put in, away from the shiny lights and the TV, but it’s always nice I guess when you get the rewards from that. I just love playing for my country, I love travelling the world and playing international cricket and I am very lucky to do that across all three formats,” Mitchell added.
The batter has been in a red-hot form against India in their backyard, having notched up scores of 130, 134, 84 and 131 not out in the last four outings. In the subcontinent, he has scored 1,457 ODI runs at 56.03 with five centuries and six fifties. From 15 matches in India, he has garnered 801 runs at 66.75 with three tons and as many fifties. In Pakistan, he has 576 runs in 12 matches at 48 with two centuries and two fifties, whereas he’s yet to play ODIs in Sri Lanka.
“(For) us as New Zealanders, we don’t grow up on these surfaces, we grow up on bouncy, grassy wickets and the nature of playing international cricket is you have to find ways to adapt your game,” he said.
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“I’m comfortable with how I want to go about my batting in these conditions, trying to find ways to put the bowlers under pressure. Whether that’s using feet, sweep (shot), using the crease, there are different ways that you try and find ways to put pressure on them (opposition),” he said.
“For me, it’s been a learning process over several years now,” Mitchell added.
English (US) ·