After comfortably winning the first ODI in Napier, India will be looking to take a 2-0 lead in the five match series when they square off against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui. The fixture will be played on January 26 (India’s Republic Day), and the visitors have never won an ODI played on that date.
The first game was an effective no-contest, with New Zealand’s batsmen coming a cropper at McLean Park. Pace bowler Mohammad Shami continued from where he had left off in Australia as he took out the openers, and India’s spin twins of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal strangulated the Black Caps in the middle period of the game.
For India, Shikhar Dhawan picked up some very valuable time in the middle, with his brilliant knock of 75 helping the Men in Blue to register a comfortable win in Napier.
Hardik Pandya has flown down to NZ after the BCCI temporarily revoked his suspension, but this game will probably come too early for him.
Ambati Rayudu, who appeared rusty in his short stay at the crease and could’ve fallen for a duck to Lockie Ferguson, is likely to get another game, unless India decide to change a winning outfit.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli who has been rested for the final 2 one dayers and T-20 international to manage his workload, which means there could be a chance for Shubman Gill to make his one day debut later in the series.
The home side would be relying on the opening pair of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro to provide a solid beginning for the likes of Ross Taylor, skipper Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls to flourish in the middle. The strip at Mount Maunganui was a high scoring one during the Black Caps’ recent series against Sri Lanka, and we could see an encore on Saturday.
New Zealand would be contemplating playing Ish Sodhi at the expense of one of the pacers- either Tim Southee or Doug Bracewell.
India Playing XI
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (capt), Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal
New Zealand Playing XI
Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee/Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult