‘I would pay to sit in their team meetings’ – R Ashwin in awe of ‘analytically driven’ New Zealand

Former India all-rounder R Ashwin has lavished praises on the New Zealand cricket team’s planning and execution, saying that he would happily pay money to have access to their team meetings to observe how they about their business. 

The off-spinner, known for his sharp cricket analysis, made the remarks ahead of the second ODI between India and New Zealand. Despite India’s victory over the Kiwis, Ashwin was impressed with the visiting team’s planning and preparation, who troubled the hosts despite missing some big stars in their roster. 

“A lot of the top teams aren’t very analytically driven. New Zealand is a very analytically driven side. I hope to sit down with them and observe their planning; I am even willing to pay money for it if needed. The way they execute their plans, I would pay to sit in their team meetings to understand how they go about it,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

He went on to stress that New Zealand’s fighting spirit and tactical clarity are qualities every team should respect. 

“We must give credit to New Zealand for the way they were ready to fight in the game. They didn’t stop till the end, and that’s why they were able to come back into the game. I also posted a tweet that New Zealand don’t have a lot of strength in their squad, in terms of man-to-man. But because of their discipline, fielding, and how they execute their plans well, they are able to fight and compete with some of the top teams,” he continued.

Even though India won the match, the 39-year-old believes that Kiwis were the better team throughout the match, with the Men in Blue struggling for consistency. 

“The most impressive was the New Zealand team. India didn’t play the best cricket. There were pockets where Harshit Rana bowled really well and batted really well,” he concluded. 

The second ODI of the three-match series will be held on January 14 at the Nirajnan Shah Stadium, Rajkot.