Cricket: Versatile Daryl Mitchell unfazed by dry spell in new Blackcaps batting position – Newshub

Daryl Mitchell. Credits: Photo – Getty Images; Video – Newshub
Versatile batter Daryl Mitchell is backing himself to settle into his new position further up the Blackcaps order, despite a run of low scores on the subcontinent.
Mitchell has been bumped up to No.4, ahead of wicketkeeper and stand-in captain Tom Latham for their one-day matches against Pakistan and India.
But after five innings, he averages just 15.5 runs at a strike rate of 72 and has struggled against spin bowling, being dismissed on four occasions.
With the series against India already lost, Mitchell and the Blackcaps head into the third ODI determined to end on a high, before the T20 matches.
He remains unfazed by the lack of runs in his new role and prides himself in his adaptability.
"I’m just proud to be representing New Zealand in whatever position I bat in," said Mitchell. "If you’ve followed my career, you can see that I’ve batted in many positions across all three formats, so I’m just doing my job, and [there are] some good days and bad days.
"That’s the nature of the game we play and, yeah, really looking forward to tomorrow, as a group, to come out and put in a good performance, and walk away with a win in the ODI series.
"For me, it’s something that I guess, as a skillset, is to adapt to different numbers in the line-up, as well as different situations, and I’m a competitor at heart.
"That’s why I play the game, and I love competing to try and win those moments. That’s what drives me, whether I open the batting, or batting at No.3, 4, 5 or 6. 
"For me, that doesn’t worry me, and it’s about getting stuck in and being really proud to represent the country, which is something I dreamt of doing since I was a little kid.
"I’m very fortunate to be in this position. I do it with a smile on my face and puff my chest out, and try and take them on."
"I’m 31 years of age now, and know how my game works and how I want to go about the middle phases of one-day cricket [against spin].
Mitchell’s mindset is very much a hallmark of the Blackcaps camp, with the team refusing to panic over a couple of losses.
"Any game for New Zealand is an immense honour, it’s a real privilege to represent our country and wear the silver fern on our chest," he said.
"I don’t think any game is bigger than what it is – that’s something we pride ourselves on in our group. We stay pretty level, whether it be a World Cup final or an ODI here, it’s all treated the same.
"For us, it’s [about] trying to win little moments. I know it sounds boring, but that’s how we go about our business and, hopefully, that means we can win games of cricket."

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