Auckland, Nov 11 (IANS) India forward Ryan Williams is drawing on his previous experience of playing in New Zealand to prepare for Indian men’s maiden visit to the country, as the national team gears up to face the All Whites in the first of two international friendlies at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on Thursday.
The match, scheduled to kick off at 11:40 IST, will be only the third senior international meeting between the two sides, following their previous encounters in 1981 and 2018. While the trip is unfamiliar territory for most members of the Indian squad, Williams has played in New Zealand during his time with Australian club Perth Glory.
The 33-year-old featured in Glory’s 2-2 draw against Wellington Phoenix in Palmerston North in January 2023, a fixture popularly known as the ‘Distance Derby’. Having experienced the demands of travelling across the Tasman, he knows the challenges that come with the long journey and time difference.
“Every time I’ve come to New Zealand to play, it’s always been difficult because of how far away it is from everything. From Perth, it’s a long way. The time difference is something you have to manage as well,” Williams said.
With Auckland seven and a half hours ahead of India, managing the change in body clock was among the squad’s immediate priorities after arrival. Williams said he followed a planned sleep routine during the journey, drawing on years of experience travelling between Australia and the United Kingdom.
“My plan was to sleep for the first part of the flight, which was to Malaysia. I slept a couple of hours, then pretty much didn’t sleep until we got here. It kind of resets your whole body clock, so you can come here, go straight to sleep and try to sleep through the whole night. I feel good. I’ve done this plenty of times before, so it definitely helps in situations like this,” he said.
The weather has provided another adjustment for the visiting players. During India’s training session at the North Harbour Stadium Outer Oval on Tuesday, pleasant conditions gave way to a cold spell of heavy rain. Williams, accustomed to such surroundings, found the reaction of some teammates amusing.
“Having trained in pouring rain, cold and on wet, muddy ground, I’m used to it. But these boys came out, and it was quite funny. It was like a scene out of Cool Runnings,” he joked.
“Everyone enjoyed it, though. Testing yourself in different climates, temperatures and parts of the world is what we want to do as footballers. It’s really exciting. Everyone is happy, glad that we’re here, and thankful that these games have been put on.”
Williams has also faced New Zealand previously at the youth international level, representing Australia’s U20 side in a 5-0 friendly win in Wollongong in June 2013. Thursday’s fixture, however, will mark his first international appearance on New Zealand soil.
For India, the two matches offer another opportunity to test themselves against World Cup-level opposition after their recent encounters with Panama, Brazil and Uruguay
“It’s a really cool couple of games for us. Coming off the back of playing Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, we’ve got that taste for wanting to play teams that have been in the World Cup. We’ve learned a lot from those games and know how we can improve,” he said.
“There were periods in those three games when it didn’t look like there was much difference. Our goal is to take that forward and try to sustain those good periods for longer against equally strong teams. These are teams that have all played in the World Cup, and that’s where we aspire to be as a country. The more games we play against these big teams, the better it will be for everyone.”
India will meet New Zealand again in the second friendly at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Sunday, November 15, with kick-off scheduled for 08:40 IST.
–IANS
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