India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Kiwis skipper Tim Southee hopes to end bubble-life soon

In
less
than
72
hours
of
playing
the
ICC
T20
World
Cup
2021
final
against
Australia
in
Dubai,
New
Zealand
play
India
in
a
three-match
bilateral
series
in
a
space
of
five
days.

Southee,
who
has
been
in
bubbles
since
the
IPL
resumed
in
September,
said
the
scheduling
in
COVID
times
is
beyond
their
control
but
it
does
impact
the
players.

“With
what’s
happened
in
the
world
in
the
last
last
couple
of
years
(COVID),
it
had
made
things
a
lot
tougher
with
bubbles
and
quarantine
and
it
does
take
its
toll
after
a
while,”
said
Southee,
who
will
also
stay
back
for
the
two-Test
series
against
India
though
his
new
ball
partner
Trent
Boult
will
head
back
after
T20s.

“We
don’t
know
what’s
going
to
happen
in
the
future.
Whether
we’re
gonna
have
to
continue
to
play
in
bubbles
and
I
guess
you
are
put
under
more
pressure
with
the
quarantine
time
thrown
as
well.”

Skipper
Kane
Williamson
has
been
given
much
needed
rest
for
T20s
ahead
of
the
Test
series
in
India.
Leading
players
including
Virat
Kohli
has
spoken
about
how
bubble
life
is
not
sustainable
in
the
long
run.

After
New
Zealand’s
loss
to
Australia
in
the
World
Cup
final
in
Dubai
on
Sunday,
head
coach
Gary
Stead
spoke
about
the
unusual
scheduling
scenario
his
team
finds
itself
in.

The
squad’s
chartered
flight
landed
here
on
Monday
evening.
Southee
understand
that
some
of
the
things
are
beyond
control.

“So
it’s
something
we
can’t
control
something
we
just
have
to,
I
guess
adapt
to
and
get
used
to
but
but
it
does
take
its
toll.

“I
know
a
few
players
that
have
been
a
number
of
bubbles
for
long
periods
of
time
it
does
take
its
toll
we
down
after
a
while
so
hopefully,
we
don’t
have
to
have
to
deal
with
bubbles
for
too
much
longer,”
said
Southee.

The
pacer
said
the
workload
of
players
will
be
managed
throughout
the
series.

“Yes,
it
is
something
we’re
going
to
have
to
look
at
throughout
the
series,
three
games
and
in
five
days,
with
travel
days
in
between
and
then
a
couple
of
days
and
then
we’re
into
the
Test
series.

“The
guys
will
be
managed
throughout
the
series,
but
we’ve
got
a
squad
of
15
here
that
were
involved
in
the
World
Cup
which
I’m
sure
will
be
used
throughout
the
series,”
said
Southee.

Talking
about
conditions
being
similar
to
the
UAE,
Southee
said
the
team
is
looking
forward
to
playing
in
India
as
it
is
always
a
special
experience.

“Guys
are
disappointed
(after
the
loss
to
Australia).
We
played
some
pretty
good
cricket
throughout
the
tournament
and
was
disappointing
not
to
be
able
to
have
won
the
other
night
but
but
we’re
going
to
shift
their
focus
to
this
series.

“It
is
a
new
challenge
of
playing
in
India
and
the
conditions
will
be
similar
but
I’m
sure
we
will
need
to
adapt
slightly,”
he
said.