Synopsis
The 56-Test veteran has been an important part of the New Zealand’s Test side since scoring a fifty in his debut match in 2016 against Australia. And he was also a member of the side that won the inaugural World Test Championship, beating India in the Final in Southampton, England, in 2021. He didn’t contribute much with the bat in that match but took a brilliant catch to dismiss dangerous Rishabh Pant in the second innings. Excerpts from his interaction with ET Sport.
![105109123.](https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-109256450,width-300,height-225,imgsize-4654,resizemode-75/105109123-.jpg)
New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls is quite positive about his chances of regaining a place in the Test side. The 32-year-old from Christchurch was dropped from the Test side for the home series against South Africa earlier this year. He was replaced by young sensation Rachin Ravindra. But he was called back for the following series against Australia and that gave Nicholls the confidence that he was still in the scheme of things for the Black Caps team management.
The 56-Test veteran has been an important part of the New Zealand’s Test side since scoring a fifty in his debut match in 2016 against Australia. And he was also a member of the side that won the inaugural World Test Championship, beating India in the Final in Southampton, England, in 2021. He didn’t contribute much with the bat in that match but took a brilliant catch to dismiss dangerous Rishabh Pant in the second innings. Excerpts from his interaction with ET Sport.
You were part of the New Zealand side that beat India in the World Test Championships final. How big was the occasion?
Yeah, it was massive. Obviously, it was the first Test Championship cycle, been over a two-year period, and for us to get to the final against India, at a neutral venue as well. So, there were a lot of firsts for the group. And it was a six-day Test match as well, which was great because it rained for two days. It was the first six-day Test match [that] I played in but for it to come down to the last day and that last session; and it was New Zealand’s first world title. It was really special to be a part of. So, as a group, we look back into the guys who played throughout the two years. I guess that’s the beauty of the Test Championship. We played Tests in Sri Lanka and we played Tests in Australia and the final was in England. It was a real reflection of a squad that we had over the two years and for it to come down to a final against such an amazing side as India and for us to get over the line was an awesome experience.
What is your opinion about the future of Test cricket? Does the proliferation of the T20 leagues pose a risk for Test cricket?
I think if you ask most players who played Test cricket and even the other formats, Test cricket is still the pinnacle for a lot of guys and the Test Championship certainly in the last few years has added more meaning and impetus to the series that maybe previously haven’t had that. So, we all hope that Test cricket remains the focus. But also, I understand the role that T20 does play around the world and the interest that has garnered as well. So hopefully moving forward those two can work side by side and lift each other up.
You were not part of the home series versus South Africa and then you were on the bench for the Australia series. At 32, where do you see your Test career at the moment?
It was obviously disappointing to not be part of the South Africa series. But the feedback I received was that certainly no means, from the coaches and selectors point of view, they see that’s the end of the road for me and I guess that was the nice thing with being recalled for the Australian series. For me at 32, I think previously 32 was possibly quite old, but now you look at the age of players playing. I was talking to Usman Khawaja a little bit when we played against them and obviously he made a resurgence at the later age of his career. So, for me it’s just about playing some really good cricket and knowing that how much cricket we do play nowadays, teams can change quite a bit as well. So for me, it’s to keep enjoying my cricket and hopefully manage to play again and for a few more years to come.
Having played 56 Tests, how do you rate your career so far and what do you hope to achieve in the coming months or years?
I’m certainly proud. You mentioned it’s 56 Tests and certainly for New Zealand who didn’t play many Tests throughout a year. And, as I said before about being part of the Test Championships winning side, [there are] a lot of great memories and I certainly want to be part of that moving forward as well. But I just want to keep enjoying my cricket. I have a family now and I think that gives you good perspective on why you play the game and a lot of that comes back to when I first started it was [about] having fun and playing with your mates. So that’s what we talk about in the Black Caps team and certainly I’m looking to keep moving forward, obviously wanting to score as many runs as I can and playing Test cricket for as long as I can as well.
You topped the Super Smash batting charts this season with 317 runs. With so many players unavailable for various reasons, was it disappointing to not get a call-up for the T20 series against Pakistan?
That I really enjoyed. That was probably my first Super Smash full season in six or seven years. So, I really enjoyed playing in there and obviously the Canterbury side went into the final and we were in good position and then we got washed out. So, we had a chance to win it but we didn’t. But from a personal note, like you said, it was nice to score some runs and being in consideration for the Pakistan tour. So, for me it’s just a case of keep pushing forward and playing good cricket and knowing that if I can do all those right things and put the runs on the board, then leave it up to selectors at the end of the day.
From the perspective of a player who hasn’t played in the IPL, how do you see the IPL? Do you ever discuss it with the other players?
Yeah, I think certainly there’s no doubt that the IPL is the pinnacle T20 event in the world. And you know, every time we talk to the guys who have been involved with, they just speak so highly of how competitive it is, but also the passion and the energy that surround the tournament. I have talked to some of the guys who have first-hand experiences of playing in finals, every ground is a sell out and the atmosphere is really exciting. It’s a dream for every player to play in the IPL. So excited for the New Zealand guys who are playing it this year and it’s great watching them on TV and having a bit of success as well.
Sony Sports Network has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights of New Zealand Cricket for seven years.
The interaction was arranged by Sony Sports Network.