Captain Virat Kohli would effectively like to replicate – and improve – India's performance in last year's tour of New Zealand.
India beat New Zealand four-one in the 2019 ODI series. They will meet for three more, again in New Zealand, next month.
“On the last tour we were very positive in how we played, very sure of what we wanted to do. The thing about playing away is if you're able to put the home team under pressure, you can enjoy your cricket. You have to win at home, there's that sort of feeling. So if you bring out your A game, you can really put them under pressure,” said Kohli.
“That's what we did last year, squeezed them in the middle overs, picked up wickets, and the spinners were outstanding. Looking forward to take that same intensity into the series. We've played really well in 2020, want to continue that.”
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The ODIs will be preceded by five T20Is – and offer both sides preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. Dafabet have India and New Zealand priced at 4.30 and 7.25, respectively, to win the 2020 T20 World Cup.
“We want to bat well when we bat first and in case we're defending a low total, we should be able to do that as well. Clarity of mind is really crucial because we're playing in conditions that are not ours, so we have to take even more intensity into that series to put the home team under pressure, set that sort of template from game one and build from there,” added Kohli.
“We can't afford to ease into the series after two games, because then it keeps getting tougher and tougher, so we'll look to make a mark in the first game that we play, play expressive cricket and be sure of what we want to do.”
Later this year, Kohli will captain the Royal Challengers Bangalore through the Indian Premier League. Bangalore have never won the IPL. They will have several international stars at the 2020 IPL, including South African batsman AB de Villiers and all-rounder Chris Morris. De Villiers and Morris are currently playing in Australia's Big Bash League.
