R Ashwin Hails New Zealand's Analytical Approach and Fighting Spirit

Former India all-rounder R Ashwin heaped praise on New Zealand’s fighting spirit, insisting that he would love to be a fly on the wall during the Kiwis’ planning sessions for matches. Despite holding only a fourth of the experience across departments, a second-string BlackCaps outfit handed India a scare in the first ODI in Vadodara last Sunday. Batting first, the Kiwis put on 300 on the board and nearly stopped India from crossing the line beforeKL Rahul’s unbeaten cameo took the side home in the 49th over. In 2024, the Kiwis hammered India at home, handing them a landmark 0-3 whitewash defeat that marked the start of the Test team’s transition. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted New Zealand’s analytical approach and said, “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.”