New Zealand have not played a Test since March, but they will have little time to get up to speed ahead of a tight Test schedule that ends the year: a two-Test series against Sri Lanka in September, a three-Test tour of India in October and November, before hosting England at home for three more Tests in November and December.
All eight matches will be played during the remainder of the World Test Championship, with New Zealand very likely needing to win at least five of them to qualify for the final at Lord’s.
“We’ve had a bit of a break from Test cricket since the home summer and now we have a big role to play in the Test Championship cycle,” Southee said on the eve of the first Test in Galle. “It’s an exciting time for a Test team, with eight games between now and December, but there are tough times ahead, obviously in Sri Lanka, in India and at home in England.
“Yes, it was disappointing (not playing Afghanistan), but we had a week (in India) and there were some positives. We trained here and had some great training. We spent some time together as a Test team. It’s been a long time since we’ve been together. So it was important to spend that time in India and bond during that time.”
“(He) is a guy who has taken over 100 Test wickets at this stadium and is a great player for Sri Lanka. We have three left-arm spinners in the team and he has worked closely with the other spinners.”
New Zealand’s strength lies not in specialisation but in their ability to adapt to different conditions and approaches. Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel provide frontline spin options, while Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell provide additional options. Then along with Southee, Matt Henry, Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke all provide seam versatility.
“I think historically, especially at Galle, spin has played a pretty big part,” Southee said. “But if you can come here and do well as a pace bowler, it’s a tough challenge but a very rewarding one.
“If you look at the balance of the squad, we have a dedicated spinner, we have players at the top of the order who can provide spin options, and we have four quality seam bowlers who provide other options. I think we have covered a lot of bases. It’s just a matter of finding out what balance is right in this situation.
“And that can change from the first game to the second game, and then of course when we go to India it can change again. So I think it’s important to have a squad that can cover all the bases.”
Meanwhile, Southee has a historic milestone not far away. With 380 wickets, he is just 20 strikes away from becoming the 18th player to reach 400 wickets, and only the second New Zealander to do so after Sir Richard Hadlee.
“I think over time, if you play long enough, you can get closer to that, but it’s still a lot of tours where you’re 20 wickets away, especially in this part of the world. But you try to go out there in every game and do your part and get wickets for the team and it would be nice to hit those milestones along the way.”
