There were few surprises in the BLACKCAPS Test squad announced to tour India with Hamish Bennett’s addition and Daryl Tuffey’s exclusion the main talking point.
Big and rawboned, Bennett, 23, has an ability to charge in hard and regularly bowl in excess of 140kmh, which is something the selectors want to foster.
By choosing Bennett to compete for a fast bowling role against Chris Martin, Tim Southee, Andy McKay and Brent Arnel, the selectors -- coach Mark Greatbatch, captain Daniel Vettori and Glenn Turner -- hope he builds on the positive impression made during his first assignment for New Zealand on this month's disappointing one-day tour to Bangladesh.
The New Zealanders returned home disappointed after a 0-4 series whitewash, but Bennett -- and young batsman Kane Williamson, another new cap named in the test squad -- did his cause no harm with encouraging performances in his two outings.
Greatbatch told NZPA the selectors had been looking at Bennett for some time as a possible acquisition in the longer form of the game.
He said Bennett offered another option to their seam bowling mix, which the selectors were keen to pursue as opposed to the accuracy of 32-year-old Tuffey, whose pace has dipped to the mid-120 range.
"We wanted a different variety of swing bowlers and pace bowlers. Hamish Bennett has obviously made a bit of an impression because of his pace," he said.
"We were looking at him in the longer version three-four months ago when he showed some pretty good signs for the New Zealand Emerging Players in Australia.
"There was an opportunity to take him to Bangladesh and he's obviously shown us enough for us to take him across to India and have in the mix of bowlers."
Williamson's selection comes as no surprise, a maiden one-day century in Bangladesh demanding he be given a shot in the test arena where his ability to bowl offspin may prove a handy back up to specialists Vettori and Jeetan Patel on the subcontinent.
Greatbatch said it was likely Williamson and Martin Guptill would go head-to-head for the No 6 spot in the batting card, with Jesse Ryder at No 5, one slot below Ross Taylor.
The series, starting at Ahmedabad on November 4, will mark the first outing for Brendon McCullum as a specialist batsman at the top level.
He long ago flagged his intention to give away the wicketkeeping gloves at test level, leaving long-time heir apparent Gareth Hopkins to pick up those duties.
Greatbatch said McCullum would be looked upon to bat at No 3 against the Indians, behind Tim McIntosh and BJ Watling, whose fledging opening partnership needed more time to bed down.
McIntosh and Watling have played just four tests together and Greatbatch acknowledged they deserved more opportunities to press their case as a combination.
"He (McCullum) is in the side as a batter and he has indicated he wants to bat high."
Most of the tour party head to India on Saturday. They will be joined there by six players -- Arnel, Guptill, Martin, McIntosh, Hopkins and Patel -- who will travel directly to India from Zimbabwe where they today completed a 2-0 victory in a three-match series of four-day games for New Zealand A.
"The group of players coming from Zimbabwe have had the ideal preparation with three hard fought matches in difficult conditions. The rest of the squad have been training hard and are keen to prove that they are better that the recent performances in Bangladesh," Greatbatch said.
"We are well aware that we are recent performances are not up to scratch and we need to improve if we are to compete with a very strong Indian side. The team are determined to do so."
New Zealand are also to play five one-dayers against India, and a revised squad for those will be named closer to the opening game at Guwahati on November 28.
BLACKCAPS test squad: Brent Arnel (Northern Districts), Hamish Bennett (Canterbury), Martin Guptill (Auckland), Gareth Hopkins (Auckland), Chris Martin (Auckland), Brendon McCullum (Otago), Tim McIntosh (Auckland), Andy McKay (Wellington), Jeetan Patel (Wellington), Jesse Ryder (Wellington), Tim Southee (Northern Districts), Ross Taylor (Central Districts), Daniel Vettori (captain, Northern Districts), BJ Watling (Northern Districts), Kane Williamson (Northern Districts).
NZPA
