Second ODI: India hopes to win the series in Rajkot as New Zealand tries to recover (Preview)
Second ODI: Rajkot India will now play New Zealand in Rajkot in an attempt to secure the series by establishing an insurmountable lead in the three-match series after a close four-wicket victory in the series opener in Vadodara. At the usually batting-friendly Niranjan Shah Stadium, the two teams will square off. The BlackCaps want to even the series, while the hosts want to take a 2-0 lead.
Washington Sundar was sidelined for the rest of the series due to an injury, therefore there would be at least one change in India’s starting lineup for the second ODI. Ayush Badoni, a 26-year-old who gained his first ODI call-up, took the place of the all-rounder in the team. After a number of periphery players stood up when called upon, captain Shubman Gill is faced with a classic “selection dilemma.”
The first game demonstrated how the team’s tactical approach is shifting with the addition of relatively young players like Harshit Rana, even if veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still vital. The team management must choose whether to keep the winning lineup or switch up the bowlers to lighten their burden when the action moves to Rajkot.
India defeated New Zealand in ODIs for the eighth time in a row since 2023. Since 2017, they have now defeated New Zealand in eight consecutive ODI matches at home.
In addition, India defeated New Zealand in the first match of the ODI series, successfully chasing the second-highest goal after the 316 runs scored in Bengaluru in 2010.
The opening game saw a strong response from New Zealand. When Iyer and Kohli were in control and India looked ready to win by a wide margin, it seemed like they were done for. But before India won, the BlackCaps showed incredible tenacity. While Gill started slowly against the new ball but found his groove as Kohli came in to support him, Rohit Sharma, who had scored India’s first runs, was removed in the Power-play.
With confidence, India’s third batsman faced the bowlers head-on and smashed boundaries, forging a solid partnership with the skipper that lasted more than 100 runs. Shreyas Iyer continued to play aggressively after Gill was fired, establishing another solid alliance with Kohli and keeping India in control.
New Zealand immediately got back into the game as Kyle Jamieson came in and dismissed Kohli and Iyer with three wickets in seven balls. Rana was brought in ahead of Washington due to his injury, and his helpful cameo relieved wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul of some of the load.
A limping Washington made it to the middle even after Rana was out, and he and Rahul led India home with one over remaining. In the end, New Zealand just lacked that additional bit of firepower in the crucial moments, despite throwing all they had at India and pushing them all the way.
With both bat and ball, the Kiwis showed tenacity. A mid-inning dip almost put them out of the game after a strong start, but Daryl Mitchell’s consistency got them to a respectable total.
They continued to battle and extended the match to the second final over with the ball. However, India will acknowledge that they might have been more accurate in every area of the game and will want to do better in Wednesday’s second encounter.
When: 1:30 PM IST on Wednesday, January 13
Where: Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium
Where to watch: JioHotstar for live streaming and Star Sports Network for live TV broadcasts
Teams
India: Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul (wk).
New Zealand: Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox, Nick Kelly, Zakary Foulkes, Josh Clarkson, Michael Rae, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Hay, and Devon Conway (wk).