India bowling coach Morne Morkel lightheartedly advised Test specialists to prepare for Wellington's extreme winds
Morkel emphasized that dealing with the 120 km/h gusts at the Basin Reserve is a mental challenge
Michael Bracewell noted that the host nation plans to capitalize on the visiting team's discomfort with the unique conditions
The wind could blow in any direction once players step onto the field, making the three-side open Basin Reserve Ground unique in its positioning, but India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has pro-tip for the Test specialists, who are yet to touch down in the Southern Hemisphere.
And the advice is: "Stand near a powerful fan to counter the speedy wind" that creates problems for visiting teams since time immemorial.
"We've spoken about Wellington, especially before the start of the tour, and we've planted those seeds. I spoke to some of the boys who were back in India last night, and they asked what the conditions are like. I said, 'Make sure you get a very strong fan at home. When you walk into the fan that is going to be your preparation'," Morkel's insight was interesting ahead of India's third T20 International.
The Indian team is in New Zealand's national capital, also known as "Windy Wellington" with wind blowing at a speed of 120 kmph on Monday.
The third T20I against the Black Caps might be slated for Tuesday, but Morkel and head coach Gautam Gambhir are looking at the big picture.
"This wind is a different beast. I was in the hotel this morning and the whole building was sort of shaking. So I think it's going to be a new sort of thing that we add to our books for the guys to get used to and accustomed to with a quick turnaround," Morkel said.
"For us, it is looking forward to that challenge and taking it head-on and not really making excuses. This wind can impact a lot of things, it can impact batting, your stance, your crease, it can impact many factors," Morkel cited some practical issues.
During his playing days, Morkel did face issues while bowling at the Basin Reserve and said that it is very difficult to adjust to the situation with three or four days of training.
"When I toured here with South Africa, we had certain ways that we went about trying to get used to it. I don't think you can ever get used to it in the space of two, three, or four days. So it comes down to how you're going to frame the whole situation: you're either going to see it as a challenge, or you're going to see it as a negative and let it down.
"Hopefully, we can get those guys in a mental space where they look forward to that challenge. At the end of the day, you need somebody to put their hand up and bowl into the wind, because we can't have four guys bowling off the wind."
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell also understands what kind of issues the wind could pose for the opposition and insisted that his team will leave no stone unturned to cash in on the apparent discomfort.
"It is interesting. At closed stadiums, it swirls around a bit, so it's probably not as consistent as it is when you play in a slightly more open field like the Basin. We had one game here where the cameras got turned off from one end because it was so windy," Bracewell recalled.
But Bracewell spoke about the joys of facing such challenges head on.
"So that's the joy of playing here is you get faced with different conditions, and that's the great thing about international cricket. You go all around the world and have to deal with different things.
"So it swirls a bit in the stadium, so it's not necessarily that there's going to be one end that perhaps if we're playing in an open sort of stadium that you could target.
"So yeah, it's just about identifying those moments when it's sort of a little bit calmer or the wind is swirling in your direction as a batter, or being a bit more defensive with the ball."
When asked about strategy for the Test, Bracewell decided to keep his cards close to his chest.
