Black Caps look to keep up winning ways
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, has laid down a challenge to his players to keep their run of form away from home going.
Hesson wants to guide the Black Caps into Test cricket's elite, and knows the only way to do that is to consistently win on the road.
Speaking after the 2-0 series win in Zimbabwe, Hesson said: "We know we will only be judged a decent team once we start to do well away from home,
"We won in West Indies and Sri Lanka, and we are getting better. We were challenged here in Zimbabwe with both bat and ball and India are going to challenge us in a few months' time."
The coach is aware that when on the road the conditions can often be harder to overcome than the opposition, and time has to be spent on adjusting the way you play and the balance of your team.
Skipper Kane Williamson spoke of those challenges saying: "Any time you tour away from home, the conditions are so diverse that the challenge is not just playing a different nation, it's having to make big adjustments to your game and your approach as a team,
"Those are challenges that are unique to the international game and something every side finds difficult. It's a leveler as well because everyone is most used to their home conditions. So when you go away you have to adapt as quickly as you can and it's not an easy thing."
Hesson is looking to his senior players to impart knowledge of the conditions to the younger members of the squad.
The coach continued: "We've got enough experience in the group that players can talk about it,
"When we train, we train with a purpose. We've got a group of players that share ideas and learn from each other."
Hesson was full of praise for Ross Taylor who went unbeaten throughout the series against Zimbabwe, adding: "He is in an excellent space. A very calm space and technically, he is playing nicely,
"He is training very well and is just making good decision after good decision."
The coach was thrilled with the way Neil Wagner stepped up against Zimbabwe, keeping Doug Bracewell out of the team: "Doug is competing with Neil Wagner. With Neil's ability to reverse the ball, that's a role we wanted. We thought Neil was the right one to go with and he had a very good first Test, so he got a second."
The Tests against South Africa will break new ground, being played at the tail-end of the South African winter and conditions could be different to what New Zealand had previously experienced.
Latest
-
News
On this day in 2018: Australian trio banned after ball-tampering saga
The trio were handed their punishments on March 28, 2018.
-
County Cricket
Surrey stars eager to help Alec Stewart sign off with more silverware
Stewart has guided Surrey to three County Championship wins during his decade in charge.
-
Women's Cricket
Maia Bouchier smashes 91 as England Women seal T20 series victory
England made 177 for three and then restricted New Zealand to 130 for seven.
-
County Cricket
Yorkshire boosted by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s early-season availability
Both players are not at the Indian Premier League.
-
England
Ollie Pope ‘itching’ to get back scoring runs after ‘frustrating’ tour of India
The England vice-captain hit a superb 196 in Hyderabad, but averaged only 14.75 in the next four Tests of the India series.
-
Women's Cricket
Ellyse Perry says Ashes Test at MCG ‘amazing’ but unsure about four-day return
Australia will host England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes early next year.
-
County Cricket
Harry Brook set to return for start of Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India in January due to personal reasons.
-
England
England spinner Tom Hartley expects his exploits in India to be ‘life changing’
Hartley’s second-innings haul of seven for 62 in Hyderabad delivered one England’s greatest ever overseas victories.
-
Women's Cricket
Heather Knight urges more composure from England after New Zealand collapse
The tourists needed just 29 from 29 balls with eight wickets in hand.
-
Australia
On this day in 2018: Australia ‘sandpapergate’ ball-tampering controversy erupts
The incident led to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft being banned from playing for Australia.