The New Zealanders will welcome the Indian team at Mclean Park, Napier, on Wednesday for the first of the scheduled five ODI’s to be played between them. While the players from the subcontinent are on the top of the world now after their resounding success in all formats of the game in Australia, the Kiwis too started their new year on a good note after a successful campaign against the visiting Sri Lankans. They just brushed the Sri Lankans aside 1-0 in the Test matches, 3-0 in the ODIs and 1-0 in the lone T20 match that they played.
New Zealand has announced the 15 man squad for the first three ODI’s against India about a week ago. They have made their intent clear that means to win this series in the quest to finalise their World Cup squad for the tournament in England later this English summer. In their quest for victory against India, the New Zealanders have included Colin De Grandhomme and Paul Latham who were rested for the series against the Srilankans. Mitchell Santner who has not played for the past ten months due to a knee injury has also been included in the squad. So let us have a look at the probable starting eleven for the New Zealanders for the first ODI against India:
Martin Guptill is in formidable for having scored 153 runs against the Sri Lankans in the three ODIs that they played together. Colin Munro is another batsman who did well against the Lankans scoring 121 runs in the Odis against them. Both Guptill and Monro are dangerous batsmen when they are in touch but they will probably find the Indian bowlers are a different cup of tea as compared to the Indian neighbours’.
Kane Williamson is one batsman that the Indians have to be careful of. He is in the same class as that of Kohli and has the capability to change the game on its head once he gets set. Ross Taylor is sure to be at number four for the New Zealanders and has proved over the years what he is capable of. At number three in the ICC ODI batsmen rankings, he has scored 960 runs over the last year in the fourteen matches that he has played. Henry Nicholls should be in next if his ton in the last innings in the ODI against the Sri Lankans is anything to go by. He scored 185 runs in the last three matches that he has played against Sri Lanka.
Wicketkeeper and all-rounder: Tom Latham would most likely be the wicketkeeper for he is primarily a batsman and a good striker of the ball and can shore up the scoring rate when the need arises. Mitchell Santner is more likely than no to play at number seven even if he is out of practice. In fact, that is precisely why he should be included in the team in order to get him ready for the World Cup. He bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin and bats left-handed.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult will have a few surprises for the Indian batsmen with both the bowlers swinging the ball at a good pace. Ish Sodhi who has taken 30 wickets in the last ten ODI’s that he has played in, is bound to be in the team. It will be interesting to see how the Indians handle the tall leg spinner who gets more bounce off the wicket than do other spinners of his ilk. Given a choice between Lockie Fergusson and Colin De Grandhomme, I would go with the latter for the last place in the team.
The predicted eleven will be as follows: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult and Colin De Grandhomme
The New Zealand tour will not be as easy for the Indians, both the bowlers and the batsmen because of the cooler climate and the blustery conditions. No doubt the bowlers will get greater swing depending on the direction of the wind but they will take time to control that swing. The batsmen too will have to be careful when they hit the ball in the air against the wind. It will certainly be an interesting series between the sides ranked number two and three in the ICC ODI rankings.
Comments