Mitchell Santner fears Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s threat in T20I series: He will love it

Mitchell Santner believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar could pose a huge threat to New Zealand in the upcoming T20I series against India. Bhuvneshwar returned to the international scene after four years when he was named in India’s squad for the series against the Black Caps.

He was subsequently added to the cadre for final T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru. However, the 36-year-old pacer did not get a chance to bowl as the match was abandoned due to rain.

Santner said Bhuvneshwar has the ability to generate movement even on flat Indian pitches, which makes him a dangerous prospect in New Zealand. The Kiwi skipper particularly highlighted the Indian pacer’s threat with the new ball, suggesting that the New Zealand batsmen will have their work cut out for them against him.

“I think Bhuvi will love these conditions in New Zealand. If there is something in the wicket, he will find something,” Santner said ahead of the T20I series. “(Even) on some of the flats in India, he can still pinch the ball and swing the ball. So with the new ball especially here, he’s going to be a challenge.”

Interestingly, Bhuvneshwar does not have the best T20I record in New Zealand, taking just four wickets in five matches since 2019.

RELIEF FOR INDIAN BOWLER IN NEW ZEALAND

Santner said Bhuvneshwar and other Indian bowlers could take some rest after bowling on the pitches used during the West Indies series, where even a total of 240 was not safe.

“I mean, it’s quite tough in India these days as a bowler, as we saw in the recent series (against the West Indies), 250 is being chased – who wants to be a bowler? – but he might like it a bit more here,” Santner added.

Bhuvneshwar and the Indian bowlers will be looking to impress when the series opener takes place at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday, October 22.

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