IND vs NZ 2021: New Zealand Players Looked A Little Fatigued, Says Brendon McCullum

Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum said that the Black Caps look a little fatigued over a tight cricket schedule.

On Sunday, New Zealand were white-washed 3-0 in the T20I series against India after they lost the final game by 73 runs in Kolkata.

New Zealand had a hectic schedule

New Zealand came into the India T20I series after a disappointing T20 World Cup final, where they lost to trans-Tasman rivals Australia by eight wickets.

The gap between the final match of the World T20 and the first T20I against India was just two days. 

They looked a little fatigued: Brendon McCullum

McCullum said that apart from Guptill, who scored 152 from three innings, no other player’s performance was up to the mark and also felt that the players were exhausted because of the schedule.

“The Blackcaps were a bit frustrating, but it’s a tough schedule for them to bounce straight out of a (T20) World Cup Final and then head over to India and take on a team over there, but they’ll be disappointed with their return no doubt,” McCullum told SENZ Breakfast.

“Not many guys actually put up their hand to be honest. Probably only (Martin) Guptill,was probably the only one who will walk away from that tour really content that he sort of made a fist of the conditions.” 

“It’s not always easy (to be away from home), I understand that. If I look at the Black Caps, I actually think they looked a little fatigued as well and their performances over the last couple of days. Your mind is a bit fried, you’ve been away for a long time, you’re just struggling to deal with the pressures and the time on the road and you haven’t been able to cope accordingly.

“There’s that aspect or then there’s the aspect of where you’re literally just done, you need to get home, you need to spend some time with your loved ones, but it’s just part of the game,” he added.

New Zealand will be playing a two-match Test series against India, which starts on November 25 (Thursday).

Also Read: IND vs NZ 2021: The Way Indian Spinners Have Responded In The Middle Overs Has Been Fantastic – Sanjay Bangar