Napier: India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday said the key for his team will be not to get flustered by 300-plus scores. “New Zealand always have fields that make the game high-scoring. The key is not to panic too much in the field when you see 300 being posted regularly. You just have to back yourself to get those runs, and set a big target when you’re batting first,” Kohli told reporters on the eve of the first match. “The last time we played (here), we probably didn’t have that kind of composure, to be relaxed in the field in terms of chasing close to 300.
“We take that as a challenge and we’re looking forward to doing what we did in Australia — believing in our abilities and giving in a balanced performance every time we step on the field,” he added. In 2014, India fared poorly in this part of the world, not winning anything across the two Tests and five ODIs. “If you see the last three years or so, we have really evolved as a batting group,” Kohli said. “We are more sure and more aware of our abilities, and we are ready to counter all the things that are going to be thrown at us. When the sides clashed in India last year, Kohli’s men clinched a closely-fought series 2-1.