Mumbai: Indian captain Virat Kohli during a practice session ahead of the India-New Zealand ODI in Mumbai on Saturday. PTI Photo by Mitesh Bhuvad(PTI10_21_2017_000097B) Mumbai : Hardly challenged in a dominating run this season, India will once again start overwhelming favourites when they take on an inconsistent-but-gritty New Zealand in a three-match ODI series, starting here on Sunday.
The Indians are on a high after comprehensively thrashing world champions Australia earlier this month. And the Black Caps will have to come up with really a special effort to make a mark against the rampaging hosts, reports PTI.
Banking on settled batting and bowling combinations with most of the columns ticked, the hosts appear to be too well- groomed a unit for the comfort of the visitors.
Although India suffered a resounding loss to South Africa on a belter of a track at this very venue three seasons ago, they went on to win three series on the trot in their backyard and are now a force to reckon with in the upcoming series.
In fact, since surrendering to Australia back in 2009-10, India have lost only to Pakistan (2012) and South Africa in 16 bilateral rubbers, a clear indication of how dominant they have been in familiar conditions.
Considering that the 4-1 result over Australia was achieved without skipper Virat Kohli being in top form and despite the absence of prolific opener Shikhar Dhawan, it was a huge achievement.
Vice-captain Rohit Sharma scored 296 runs, including a century and two fifties at an average just below 60. The ever-dependable Ajinkya Rahane hit 244 runs that included four half-centuries, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya amassed 222 runs. The ever-reliable Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a subdued time with the bat against Australia.
If they continue to fire with the same intensity, it would be difficult for New Zealand to contain the home team on a Wankhede track, which is expected to provide the ideal pace and bounce for the batsmen to go for the shots.
With a new-look spin attack with Chinaman Kuldeep Singh and orthodox leggie Yuzvendra Chahal, along with the left-arm orthodox Axar Patel as the back-up, India’s slow bowling too sports a supremely challenging look.
Among the pacers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to trouble the Kiwis in the opening as well as at death overs. However, New Zealanders will bank on their senior-most batsman and former captain Ross Taylor, who scored a cracking century at the Brabourne Stadium against the Indian Board President’s XI in their second practice game.
* The form of Taylor, opener Martin Guptill and captain Kane Williamson (pic) are going to be crucial in the Kiwis trying to match the Indian batting might.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, George Worker and Ish Sodhi.
KOHLI SPEAKS…
Ajinkya Rahane is team’s third opener
Mumbai: Kohli on Saturday made it clear that in-form batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the team’s third opener, effectively ruling him out of Sunday’s ODI series opener against New Zealand here.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are India’s regular openers. But in the absence of Dhawan, Rahane had opened the batting for India and hit four half-centuries on the trot in the recent five-match ODI series against Australia, which the home team won 4-1.
“He’s (Rahane) definitely grabbed his opportunities as the third opener. As I mentioned there was K L (Rahul) as well competing for the (opening) spot. But Jinx (Rahane) has performed well, stood up and taken his chances.
“That’s how the dynamics of a team work when you have four guys who play in a similar position and obviously one of them will have to miss out as only two can play in the XI,” said Kohli at the pre match media conference here.
Kohli said he would not want Rahane to get confused by playing him in the middle order.
Key batsmen to be rested ahead of overseas tours
Mumbai: With two hectic and crucial overseas tours lined-up, India captain Virat Kohli on Saturday said they will give much-needed rest to some key batsmen of the team to manage their workload.
After playing against New Zealand and Sri Lanka at home, India will embark on a tour of South Africa, involving three Tests, six ODIs and three T20 Internationals in January next year.
The South Africa series will be followed by a grueling and lengthy tour of England where India will play three T20s, three ODIs and five Tests starting July, 2018, reports PTI.
Kohli also said that its not just the batsmen, the team management will also rotate the bowling unit in the coming weeks to keep them afresh for the overseas tours.
New regulations make things exciting, professional
Mumbai: Virat Kohli said the new ODI playing rules will make the game more exciting and professional.
India will its maiden series under the new ICC ODI regulations when it takes on New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series, here on Sunday.
“There are few rules which are very different. The batsman reaching the crease and after that the bat bouncing off being not out. The rule of umpires’ call in DRS (Decision Review System). So there are few rule changes which are quite interesting. There is one about catching as well,” Kohli said at the pre-match media conference on Saturday.
