Jacob Duffy banking on Hagley bounce and IPL lessons as New Zealand gear up for Team India
Subhayan Chakraborty, Christchurch
As the New Zealand home summer prepares to get underway at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, pace spearhead Jacob Duffy is relishing the prospect of testing a formidable Indian batting lineup in conditions that offer a stark contrast to subcontinental run-fests.
Ahead of the opening clash of the five-match T20I series, Duffy reflected on a whirlwind few months, his technical refinements during the off-season, and how the Black Caps plan to counter India’s fearless new generation.
Walking out to inspect the Hagley Oval surface, Duffy admitted that the anticipation of a new home season is palpable after a rare, extended break since their last assignment against the West Indies.
“Yeah, it does feel like that. It’s obviously looking beautiful out there,” Duffy said. “It feels like a long time since we had our last period with the West Indies. In the schedules these days you don’t sort of get the big breaks, so it does feel like we’ve had a proper off-season. Chris has been working us hard in the gym and on the running track, so it certainly does feel like it’s really time to roll.”
Much of the pre-series intrigue centres around 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has left the cricketing world marvelling at his ball-striking. Having witnessed the youngster’s exploits up close during the Indian Premier League, Duffy acknowledged the unique threat Sooryavanshi poses at the crease, while noting that New Zealand’s surfaces will present a very different examination for the teenager.
“Hmm, obviously first of all he’s an incredible talent,” Duffy said of Sooryavanshi. “Obviously he’s taken the IPL by storm, and what’s amazing is he strikes it so hard and he does it so consistently. He’s, you know, he’s striking at 250 every game and he’s not missing out very often.”
With Sooryavanshi embarking on his maiden tour of New Zealand, Duffy believes the unfamiliar bounce and seam movement will test the young batter’s mettle, and confirmed the hosts have done their homework.
“So that’s obviously his first time, is it? I’m not sure, outside of India, potentially, he might have played in England,” Duffy added. “So conditions will be a little bit different for him, so that’s obviously one thing for him to be challenged with. But we’ve certainly had a good scouting session on him and certainly got our plans as to what we’re going to do to him.”
Even outside of Sooryavanshi, the Black Caps will have to contend with an explosive top three featuring Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson. While Indian fans have grown accustomed to seeing scores of 250 breached regularly, Duffy – whose close friend Jaden, the Hagley Oval groundsman from Invercargill, has promised “a little bit of bounce” – expects Christchurch’s larger dimensions to bring scores back down to earth.
“Until you bowl a ball it’s hard to say, but I’m hoping not 250 – that’s going to ruin my figures completely,” Duffy joked. “Hagley especially, man, you know, a lot bigger boundaries, things like that. It might be back to old-school T20 cricket, maybe 170 to 200 might be more your ballpark figures we might see. Obviously we’ve watched a little bit of the West Indies stuff, we’ve done our scouting and our plans. Probably won’t tell you guys about them right now, but we definitely will be on the ball.”
The past several months have been transformative for Duffy himself. Following an 80-plus wicket year, he featured in both the T20 World Cup final and the IPL final. Having bowled exclusively with the white ball this year, he used the winter break to iron out technical habits in his action.
“I sort of went back to school a little bit and got my action a little bit better too,” he explained. “That was a big part of my off-season, to get a bit more pure in my action, get taller at the crease. In white-ball you get a little bit down here, your energy gets taken away a little bit and you lose a little bit of height. So getting a little bit more height at the crease helps the wrist get behind the ball a bit more.”
Crucially, Duffy’s IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru also allowed him to pick the brains of Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, and veteran swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is making his international return after more than three years.
“I did end up sort of picking Bhuvi’s ear quite a lot, especially around slower balls and yorkers,” Duffy shared. “I think him and probably Rabada are out there as two of the best bowlers in the whole tournament. You know he’s not the fastest guy in the world, but man, he’s so skillful. He swings the ball, he hits an immaculate length, he reads batters very well, and he’s got the skills to change that up too. And getting feedback from Virat or Phil about what they’re seeing, what their game plans, tactics, lines, lengths, all that kind of stuff on a daily basis – you can’t pay for that sort of experience.”
With sold-out crowds expected across New Zealand, Duffy knows India will remain a powerhouse regardless of recent away hiccups in England and Ireland.
“I’ve played them a lot, it’s been all in India, so I’m very much looking forward to getting them in our conditions where we’re a little bit comfy,” Duffy concluded. “But Team India is always going to be very strong no matter where they play in the world.”
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