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Cricket PlayersNew Zealand get a stern warning about two stars who make India invincible at home: 'You've got them against ropes and…'
Guptill asserted that with the depth in their batting line-up, it's not easy for an away team to stamp their authority over India.
Veteran opener Martin Guptill has sent a warning to the New Zealand team ahead of the three-match Test series against India. Guptill heaped praises on India's all-rounder duo Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin for rescuing the Asian Gianst on numerous occasions with both bat and the ball. Recently, in the first Test against Bangladesh, the star duo put up a solid 199-run partnership for the seventh wicket when India was six down for 144 and helped them get past 300, which laid the foundation for a big win.
After the Bangladesh series, India's next red-ball assignment will be a three-match Test series against New Zealand.
Guptill was asked to pick between Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah as the biggest threat to New Zealand, and the Kiwi star added Jadeja to the mix.
“Both of them. I mean, you can't take away (the fact) that (Ravindra) Jadeja scored 86, 89 or something, wasn't it?
“(They had a) 199 run partnership, you think you've got India against the ropes, and then you've got these two come out and bat," Guptill told PTI.
However, Guptill picked Jadeja as a better batter than Ashwin and praised the latter for his effectiveness with the bat.
“While Jadeja is probably the better batter, I mean, Ashwin goes about his work in a completely different way and is very effective in the way he scores his runs,” he said.
Team India has a remarkable record at home, being unbeaten since 2013. They hold the record for most consecutive series wins at home, currently 17. Rohit Sharma and Co. have already taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Their next opponent New Zealand have not beaten India in an away Test series ever.
'You never feel like you're on top of India'
Guptill asserted that with the depth in their batting line-up, it's not easy for an away team to stamp their authority over India.
“So you never feel like you're on top of India because they've got such depth, and then, obviously, you've got them as a partnership of the ball as well,” he said.
The finalists of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2019-21 cycle, India and New Zealand, will face off in three Tests to be played at Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai from October 16.
