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New Zealand vs India 2020, 1st ODI Preview: Teams Kick Off Series Amid Injury Concerns
- Updated: February 4, 2020
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After India whitewashed the Kiwis 5-0 in the T20I series, the ODI series will kick off with the first ODI in Hamilton on Wednesday, February 5. There are injury concerns for both teams before New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI. For India, Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the ODI and the Test series after he survived a calf injury in the fifth and final T20I. Rohit had to ultimately leave the field retired hurt after he pulled up a calf muscle while attempting a second run. For the Kiwis, regular skipper Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the first two ODIs and Tom Latham will lead in place of him. Williamson injured his shoulder in the third T20I against India and didn’t play in the final two games of the series. Even though the x-rays revealed nothing serious, the team management has opted for a cautious approach with a Test series to follow as well. The Kiwi management is hopeful that Williamson will be back to lead the team in the third and final ODI at Mount Maunganui on February 11.
Mayank Agarwal has been named as Rohit’s replacement in the ODI series. While there are talks that Prithvi Shaw is almost certain to get his debut cap in the New Zealand vs India 2020, 1st ODI with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan both not a part of the ODI squad. Shaw has been in good form for India A. He scored 150 in his very first game against New Zealand XI for India A. He also scored 55 and 58 in two List A games last month. Shaw has been also included in India’s Test squad for the New Zealand Test series.
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The responsibility of scoring runs at the top of the order will be on Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s shoulders with Rohit ruled out of the ODI series. Rahul was adjudged the Man of the Series in the T20Is after he finished as the top scorer with 224 runs from five innings. Eyes will be also on the Indian middle-order with Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey being a part of it for New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI and the entire series. There is also Kedar Jadhav and Rishabh Pant in the squad and it will be interesting to see in what role are they used by the team management.
The Indian bowling attack for the New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI looks solid. The management has six regular bowling options to choose from with Dube and Jadhav giving them two more options. Thus this Indian squad looks strong and balanced to with the ODI series too, after whitewashing the Kiwis in the T20Is.
The Kiwis have multiple injury concerns coming into the New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI and the series. Williamson missing from the first two games leaves a big void in the batting line-up, which is almost impossible to fill up. Ross Taylor, the most experienced Kiwi batter in the team now will have to shoulder responsibilities of run-scoring in the middle order with Tom Latham a good option lower down the order. Along with him, the Kiwis are also missing their top three pacers in the series.
Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson are not a part of the ODI series too after missing out the T20Is. The pace trio has failed to recover from their respective injuries. This leaves a lot of responsibility on Tim Southee’s shoulders being the most experienced bowler in the squad. With Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, Southee becomes the core of the Kiwi bowling attack. Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn are the other options with the ball for the Kiwis in the New Zealand vs India 2020, 1st ODI and the series.
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The Kiwis are desperate for a turnaround in the ODI series after being whitewashed in the T20Is. Without Williamson, this looks an uphill. This is the first ODI for New Zealand ever since their infamous defeat against England in the 2019 World Cup final in Manchester.
Squads for New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI
India
Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Prithvi Shaw, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w/c), Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Hamish Bennett, Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn
Meanwhile, here are some key stats ahead of New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI.
- In the 107 matches played between both teams, India have 55 wins, while New Zealand have 46.
2. Sachin Tendulkar ( 1750) is the highest run-scorer for India against NZ, while Ross Taylor (1191) has scored the most runs for NZ vs India.
3. Most wickets for India vs NZ: Javagal Srinath (51)
Most wickets for NZ vs India: Kyle Mills (32)
4. Virat Kohli has seven hundreds in ODIs vs New Zealand, the most by any current Indian batsman.
5. Taylor with two hundreds has the most tons by a current Kiwi batter against India in ODIs.
Here is the Dream XI team for the New Zealand vs India 2020 1st ODI
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