India has always been a testing place for batters of visiting teams. While the conditions have eased out considerably nowadays, it’s still not a cakewalk. Finding runs here needs a fine blend of technique and strokeplay. Daryl Mitchell has both.

Mitchell made proficient use of his skills to dictate terms against the Indian spinners in these conditions. That’s what adds bigger value to Mitchell’s performance in the just-concluded ODI series.

Four hundreds and two half-centuries in his last seven ODI innings against India certainly underline his liking for and expertise against the Indian bowling attack. Besides, what stood out in these ODIs was his judiciousness even while defending, being clear about when to use his feet and when to rely on back-foot play. In other words, the kind of assurance Mitchell showed at the crease added to the confidence of Will Young in Rajkot and Glenn Phillips in the decider in Indore on Sunday.

How Mitchell deals with India’s game-changer Varun Chakravarthy in the coming T20Is, beginning from Wednesday, remains to be seen. But his current frame of mind does give New Zealand an edge going into the T20 World Cup. “The biggest thing about Daryl is his trust in his game. The ability and belief in his game to rise up to the challenges of the big moments is what drives him,” former New Zealand head coach Gary Stead, currently in charge of the Andhra team, told The Telegraph on Monday.

“Another advantage of Daryl is that he has played as an opener as well in the
2021 (T20) World Cup. So, he’s versatile in terms of his game and the requirements of modern-day cricket,” Stead emphasised.

All Blacks touch

Son of former New Zealand (All Blacks) rugby head coach John Mitchell, rugby too has had a role to play in the 34-year-old’s progress.

“Daryl played both cricket and rugby when he went to high school (St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton). He then met Australian country school boys from Perth and played (rugby for Australian Combined States School) as a fly-half, whose role is like
the conductor of a team — one who has to make use of the space, run past and move the ball at good speed to set things up,” Mitchell Senior, currently in charge of the England women’s side, recalled.

“Rugby has a unique quality. It requires a selfless attitude, which is one feature of Daryl, while it has also helped him build a strong mindset,” John added.

“It (rugby) has given Daryl the competitive edge in cricket,” agreed Stead. “The mental toughness gained from the sport leads him to accept every challenge.”

His early days in cricket were about his stints for Western Australia U-19 and the Scarborough Cricket Club in Perth, where he had Justin Langer as his teammate, before he returned to New Zealand around 2011. The Black Caps are certainly fortunate that Mitchell came back to play for them.