The Black Caps are hopeful new opener Tom Blundell will stick to his natural game and be aggressive when the right ball comes his way.
The usual backup wicket keeper has never opened in first class cricket before, but was named as Jeet Raval’s replacement for the Boxing Day Test against Australia.
Blundell has played just two Tests for New Zealand, scoring a 100 on debut against the West Indies, and is viewed as an attacking player.
Black Caps batting coach, Peter Fulton believes Blundell has to play his natural game, and not be intimidated by the prospect of opening.
“We’ve had a couple of chats and I know he’s massively excited,” he said today.
“What’s going to serve him well is we know he’s a good player of the short ball, I’m sure he’ll get tested out on that, like all batsmen will.
“He’s a good player against fast bowling, hopefully that’s going to hold him in good stead.
“Players have to play the way they play and stay true to that. Tom’s an aggressive player,
“I don’t know if it’s so much about trying to defend or leave the ball all the time, it’s about being decisive as an opening batsman. If you’re going to play an attacking shot, commit to that and the same goes if you’re going to defend it or leave it.”
The Black Caps were convincingly beaten in the first Test, failing to score more than 200 runs in either innings.
Fulton has called for the rest of the top six to stand up and stake their claim, to ease the pressure of the lower order.
“It’s pretty simple, we need more and preferably, in the first innings,” he said.
“Not too what wicket we’re going to get, but we need to get a bigger score and that probably comes down to the top six.
“It’s a big ask asking the lower order to do too much, the top six have got to knuckle down and a couple of them have got to make a big score.”
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