Jasprit Bumrah will hold key to NZ series, says Mitchell Santner

CHENNAI: The road to the World Test Championship (WTC) final is getting tougher for India and every series carries more significance. The task has become even tougher after they failed to win the final Test against Sri Lanka recently.India’s next move will take them to New Zealand for a two-Test series where they haven’t won in a decade and a half. NZ left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who is leading Edinburgh Castle Rockers in the ongoing European T20 Premier League (ETPL), told TOI in an exclusive chat that India’s Jasprit Bumrah-led pace attack will play a major role in the final outcome of the series. excerpts…How important will it be for India to adapt to the conditions given that only a few players from the current set-up have played Tests in NZ?The first thing is to try to understand the conditions as quickly as possible. Several players were already there and did well. In October to November, the courses may play differently than in February to March. So at the start of the season in New Zealand, the ball could move a bit. It’s about getting into it.What’s your take on India’s pace attack?Bumrah, who leads the attack and can pinch and swing the ball, will hold the key. (Mohammed) Siraj has done it for a long time as well and (Prasidh) Krishna is obviously bowling well. There is plenty of variety, which is what you need.Have you watched Manav Suthar?He has been very impressive since his debut. He presses nicely against the stumps and gets good form on the ball. He bowls with good overspin when he needs to and that’s key in NZ, he tries to bounce back a bit, especially when the grass is there. I think there’s still a role for the spinner in NZ, especially in Tests alongside the quicks, whether it’s the first or second innings, when the pitch can be held. On days four and five, things could spin a little. Whether it is Jadeja or Suthar, both are very good options.What do you think of India’s recent matches in Test cricket?I think it’s always been a challenge. They always play the best teams and then the main thing is that they have to adapt quickly to the conditions. But they have all the bases covered.How important is the ETPL for European players who don’t always get to play a lot of quality cricket?It is ideal for Scots, Irish and Dutch players. It gives them more exposure and an opportunity to play against some good players. We’ve seen how good they are on their own. To be fair, we’ve had some great games against Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands in the last few years. Throw in some overseas players and the tournament (ETPL) is really strong.There is already some great cricket on show, which is good. And we’re only halfway through.