India vs New Zealand: Taylor in no mood to divulge his secrets on how to tackle Ashwin’s guile in Test series

India
and
inaugural
World
Test
champions
New
Zealand
will
square
off
in
a
two-Test
series
beginning
on
November
25
in
Kanpur.
The
contest
is
part
of
the
second
WTC
cycle.

“Definitely
looking
forward
to,
definitely
going
to
be
a
challenge.
I
think
there
is
no
harder
assignment
than
playing
India
at
home
or
Australia
away.
They
are
probably
the
two
toughest
challenges
in
Test
cricket
at
the
moment.

“But
as
group
we
are
looking
forward
to
that
and
we
know
we
are
the
underdogs
but
we
will
be
looking
foward
to
putting
in
a
good
performance,”
Taylor
said
on
Sunday
(November
21).

“Any
time
you
play
India
at
home,
you
will
always
gonna
be
the
underdogs
whether
you
are
world
no.1
or
not.”

The
veteran
Kiwi
batter
said
tacking
Indian
spin
duo
of
Ashwin
and
Axar
Patel
will
be
key
to
New
Zealand’s
success
in
the
Test
series.

“I
don’t
want
to
give
my
secrets
away
just
here
(on
being
asked
what’s
his
plan
for
Ashwin).
I
don’t
know
what
lineup
India
decide
to
go
with,
Axar
Patel
played
a
big
role
against
England,”
Taylor
said
in
a
virtual
press
conference.

“Now
they
are
going
to
play
three
spinners
or
two
spinners,
obviously
Ashwin
will
be
one
of
them.
They
are
very
good
bowlers,
especially
in
these
conditions
and
how
we
will
play
them,
will
play
a
big
part
in
how
the
series
is
gonna
go.”

He
also
advised
New
Zealand
batters
to
be
wary
of
India’s
pace
attack.

“Fast
bowling
still
remains
a
main
element
with
the
new
ball
and
reverse
swing.
But
spin
more
often
plays
a
big
part
over
here,
so
we
could
be
naive
if
we
assume
only
spin
will
play
a
key
part.

“We
still
gonna
have
to
face
a
quality
seam
bowling
lineup
and
reverse
swing.
I
think
we
should
also
be
worried
about
that
but
spin
is
gonna
play
a
big
proportion
of
how
we
will
be
going
to
play
the
Test,”
Taylor
said.

“You
have
to
put
some
pressure
back
on
the
bowlers.
If
I
get
the
opportunity,
I
could
bring
back
the
slog
sweep
shot
every
now
and
then.”

Taylor
feels
adapting
to
the
conditions
will
also
play
a
big
role
in
deciding
their
fate
in
the
series.

“They
are
resting
a
couple
of
players
but
they
are
still
a
formidable
side.
The
way
we
adapt
to
these
conditions
is
going
to
be
the
key.
This
conditions
are
not
foreign
to
us,
some
of
the
guys
have
played
many
times
here
before.
We
will
be
Looking
forward
to
hopefully
use
those
experience
but
we
know
its
gonna
be
tough.”