Chris Martin
The BLACKCAPS spearhead talks about the Basin pitch, his form and the possible make up of the team.
On the first Test match in Wellington…
“I’m actually quite looking forward to it and I’m playing at a ground that I have had reasonable success at and its against an opposition that you have got to be up for and play well against.”
On competing against Australia…
“Most teams around the world who come up against Australia just have to pretty much do disciplines for longer and make sure they stay in the game for the full five days. I know once Australia sniffs a bit of blood they are pretty quite to step on the throat so we have basically got to keep them in the game for five days through being pretty strong and hard, playing some good cricket.”
On the feeling in the team going into the Test matches…
“I think you saw in the One-Day and Twenty20 Series that the guys weren’t really stepping backwards they were coming forwards and of course against a good opposition they are going to knock you off centre at times but I think throughout the Test series there is enough quality in our side to at least hold them. I think the pushing over the line thing is pretty much in our hands really.”
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On bowling to the Australian batsmen…
“They are very disciplined and I have found in the Series that I have played against them in the past, I have actually walked away thinking I couldn’t really have done much more, I have bowled as well as I could, without really getting the results. I think that just shows the quality of the guys you come up against. They are quite willing to bat time and pretty much see you off and if you are bowling well to them they are not necessarily going to try and take you apart in particular spells. They are a very disciplined outfit and one that you can’t get cheap wickets against. I have found that in the past, its been a very difficult challenge but one that over time and more experience you get the more you look forward to it.”
On the combinations that we may see in the first Test…
“Looking out there it may have a bit more bounce and pace than most wickets that we play on in the country. The two spinner option may not come out here. I suppose its Tuesday and we start on Friday so it could change colour and the spinners could come into it. I presume at the moment it’s the same side as Bangladesh with the option of either playing an extra seamer or Jeetan.”
On his current form in First Class cricket…
“It’s been steady but it hasn’t been explosive. The challenge of playing these guys should lift me to those heights I’m hoping so I am quite looking forward to it.”
