Tough and challenging: Gary Stead on New Zealand’s upcoming series against India

New Zealand coach Gary Stead on Monday admitted that his side faces a hectic schedule although he hopes for a good performance in the upcoming series against India.

New Zealand came up short in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against Australia on Sunday and the side now gets ready to lock horns against India in the three-match T20I series, beginning Wednesday in Jaipur. “It’s the first time that I can remember that we’re so quickly into another series immediately at the back end of the T20 World Cup. It’s definitely tough and challenging but it is what is in front of us. We’ve got nine-ten guys in India already who are preparing for those Test matches, and hopefully, we can get up and have a really great performance against India,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Stead as saying.

Giving a fitness update on pacer Lockie Ferguson, Stead said: “In terms of Lockie, I think he is pretty close. We will just make sure we get over there, travel okay and there are no issues like seizing up on the flight or anything like that. But I’d expect that he’s going to be available for selection, which will be fantastic.”

“With all the guys that are going to prepare for the Test matches, we just have to make that call over there — whether we think it’s in the best interests of them and also in the best interests of the team being that the Test matches are more of our priority, I think, in the next month than what the T20 matches will be,” he added.Mitchell Marsh’s power-packed unbeaten 77 and a superb spell from Josh Hazlewood fired Australia to their first T20 World Cup title on Sunday against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.