‘You have to always be mentally on song and on top of your game’ – Martin Guptill of playing in Indian circumstances

India have always been a tough touring spot for opposition teams regardless of the format. Speaking in terms of the longest one, it could arguably be considered the toughest mode for the opposition to win even a single game of a series.

Martin Guptill, a former batter for New Zealand who is now playing for the Southern Super Stars in the ongoing Legends League Cricket, talked about the difficulties he faced during his playing days with the Kiwis on their tours of India.

The worst thing about coming to India is that sometimes you feel like you can never win. As the ball turns square, another ball of the same kind passes through and continues to skid straight ahead. You have to constantly be thinking, mentally alert, and at the top of your game because you never know which one will turn and which one will go straight. Attempting to conquer India is quite challenging. But in the game, you have to strive to hold onto that feeling for as long as you can, according to Guptill, who was cited by News18.

You must attempt to immerse yourself as much as you can in the game: Martin Guptill

The former opener, who amassed 346 runs in 14 innings during Test matches in India, also underlined that playing cricket in India is difficult due to the country’s harsh environmental circumstances. He did, however, also highlight the strategies that other teams could employ to obtain the upper hand throughout the course of the match.

It’s not an easy location to play. You feel like everything is against you and it’s hot and muggy. However, Guptill continued, “you have to try to go as deep as you can in the game if you can try to get on top of them and you feel like you are getting on top of them.”

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From mid-October to early November, New Zealand will go to India to play a three-match Test series. Currently, they will be looking to tie the series with a victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka, which is set to start on September 26, 2024.