Momentum with India, says Rohit Sharma, ahead of New Zealand series

Mumbai, October 20: India batsman Rohit Sharma says his team is confident of replicating its recent performance against Australia in the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, beginning here on Sunday (October 22).

"They had a couple of good practice games here. They got used to the conditions I suppose. But yes, it will depend on how we start and what we want to do as a team. We would like to (continue) from where we left against Australia," the flamboyant opener told reporters at the Wankhede Stadium. "We would like to continue to do that. The good thing is, since the two series are being held close to each other, the guys are in their grooves. I hope we put up the same performance as we did in the last series against Australia," he added.

Sharma though admitted that "every new series has its own challenge". "The greatest strength of this team is that we treat each series at it comes. Each opposition has its own strengths and weaknesses. So the challenge for us will be to adapt to that opposition quickly.

"We played against Australia (and won 4-1) and they have different team dynamics compared to New Zealand. Our strategies will change according to that."

We are at the Wankhede Stadium and our preparations for the #INDvNZ have begun. pic.twitter.com/DoeBzcCXSc

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 20, 2017

Sharma, who was the top run-getter against the Australians with 296 runs, including a century and two fifties, said that the team's strategies won't change much from the previous series against the Kiwis, which India won 3-2. "We played these guys last year in India around the same time. Their team is more or less very similar to what we played in 2017. As far as the strategies and planning are concerned, it won't change much from last time around," said the 30-year-old Mumbai batsman.

Happy with his personal form, Sharma said he wants to keep the good show up. "You feel good when you score runs, the last few years especially have been really good. So in that space, I am quite happy right now. But the hunger (for runs) will never go. You will take every series as an opportunity and go out and perform the same way. For me, every series I play, I feel it is the first game of my career. I want to keep going."

Sharma also admitted that he looks forward to facing left-arm pacer Trent Boult in the upcoming series. "For us as batters, it will be a huge challenge to face a left-arm seamer and come good. Boult, being one of their prime left-arm fast bowlers, offers us a challenge," Sharma, who has amassed 902 runs in his last 15 ODI innings, said.

Sharma also said that the entire bowling attack of the Kiwis looked competitive. "We played them last time so we know what they will bring to the table and what they are capable of as a bowling unit. It's not just about one left-arm seamer. I guess we have to look at their complete bowling unit. Their bowling attack is very competitive and tends to perform together as a unit.

"As I said, we played them last year and they had a very similar bowling attack. It will be the same thing going there and what we did as a team," he said.

When @msdhoni hits a big one at the Wankhede Stadium, it invariably takes us back to that famous six in 2011. pic.twitter.com/UGZkvpHWJJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 20, 2017

Stating that his role in the team hasn't changed much after becoming deputy to captain Virat Kohli, Sharma said: "For me, as a vice captain, there is a responsibility. There is something I look forward to going onto the field, contributing not with just a bat, but also with insight in important thoughts to the captain. I don't think that has changed much and I don't want it to change too much."

Ajinkya Rahane had opened the batting for India and hit four half-centuries on the trot in the ODI series against Australia in the absence of regular opener Shikhar Dhawan. Asked in which position Rahane will bat with the return of Dhawan, Sharma said it was up to captain and head coach Ravi Shastri to take a call on the matter. "Rahane has probably grabbed all his opportunities in the last few series that he has played," Sharma said. "Now it's on the captain and the coach, what they want and where they want him to bat.

"A couple of series ago, the captain told us he considered him (Rahane) as an opening batsman and I don't know if Kohli wants him to bat at No 4 again. That will be completely his call. If he feels that we need someone like Rahane batting at No 4 in this particular team right now, (he might have to obey). We have to wait and see."