The talismanic duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will take much of the centre stage as India begin their five-match ODI series in New Zealand, but the visitors’ inexperienced pace attack could prove a major concern for captain Shubman Gill when the opening game gets underway in Auckland on Wednesday.
With Jasprit Bumrah being rested for the Test series and Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana still unavailable, much of the responsibility will fall on Mohammed Siraj. The senior pacer will have to lead an attack that lacks experience at the international level.
Arshdeep Singh, with 18 ODIs, is the most experienced among the other four specialist fast bowlers in the squad. Gurnoor Brar has played nine matches, while Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi have featured in just one ODI each. Together, the quartet has only 29 appearances in the format.
India will also be juggling their resources with the two-Test series against New Zealand coming up immediately after the ODIs. The final match of the 50-over series is scheduled for November 15 in Tauranga, while the first Test begins in Wellington on November 19. Gill himself will be unavailable for the last two ODIs as he switches focus to the longer format.
The tight schedule has left the team management with little room to field its strongest combination throughout the series, with workload management becoming a priority.
“If there had been a gap between the ODI series and the Test series, we would have had the opportunity to play all five matches. But because there is a very short gap between the ODIs and the Test matches, we will have to manage the workload,” Gill said on the eve of the opening ODI.
“Both formats are important. Unfortunately, because we are playing the ODIs in between, some of the players who are part of the Test team will have to miss the last two ODIs,” the skipper added.
India’s position in the ICC World Test Championship has also become more complicated following South Africa’s series victory over Australia. Currently fourth in the standings, India need to win at least six of their remaining seven Tests and depend on other results to go their way if they are to qualify for the final.
Gill, however, remains hopeful that a strong performance in New Zealand, followed by the home series against Australia, can keep India’s campaign on track.
“The World Test Championship scenario has also become very interesting. The series between Australia and South Africa was very good and balanced the table nicely. Hopefully, if we play well in the Test series here, followed by the series against Australia at home, we will have a chance to play in the final,” the skipper tried to put things in perspective.
India’s batting order appears largely settled for the opening game. Rohit and Gill are expected to open, with Kohli following at No. 3 and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer occupying the next position. KL Rahul is likely to take the wicketkeeper-batter’s role at No. 5.
Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to fill the next two slots, although Nitish will be available only for the first ODI. Anshul Kamboj could be pushed up to No. 8, with his ability to contribute with the bat offering another option in the absence of Harshit Rana.
Eden Park presents a different challenge for the bowlers. The ground is known for its unusually short straight boundaries, measuring just 55 metres, making it important for India to pick an attack capable of containing New Zealand’s aggressive batters. Siraj, Arshdeep and the tall Gurnoor are likely to be the three specialist quicks.
The selection of Kuldeep Yadav could be another talking point. With 201 ODI wickets, he is the leading wicket-taker in the current Indian squad, but the absence of Hardik Pandya makes it difficult to accommodate an additional specialist bowler without compromising the team’s balance.
However, the importance of taking wickets in the middle overs could work in Kuldeep’s favour. With only four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle between overs 11 and 40, an attacking spinner can make a significant difference by breaking partnerships and preventing the opposition from building momentum.
Gill acknowledged the value of having a wicket-taking option during that phase, though he was unsure how much assistance the Eden Park surface would offer spinners.
“In the middle overs, it is very important to have a wicket-taking option. I don’t know how many overs of spin will be required on this ground, considering the straight boundary and its dimensions. The straight boundary distance is around 55 metres which is ridiculously short as far as international standard is concerned,” Gill said.
“But keeping the World Cup in mind, having a strike bowler in the middle overs, whether a spinner or a fast bowler, who can take wickets for us in those conditions, is very important.
“Otherwise, you only have four fielders outside the circle. Even if your power-play goes well, the game can quickly slip out of your control when you don’t take wickets in the middle overs. That has definitely been a problem for us,” he added.
New Zealand have suffered another setback ahead of the opening ODI against India, with Devon Conway ruled out after sustaining a concussion during a training session at Eden Park today.
Conway collided with teammate Matt Henry while the two were attempting a catch during a fielding drill, a day before the series opener. Both players received immediate medical attention and underwent Head Injury Assessments.
Conway was subsequently taken to hospital for further checks, which confirmed a concussion and ruled him out of Wednesday’s match. Henry, meanwhile, remains in contention for selection, although New Zealand Cricket said both players would continue to be monitored.
Conway’s absence adds to New Zealand’s growing injury concerns, with Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra already ruled out of the five-match ODI series as they recover from their respective injuries. The hosts will now have to make another adjustment to their plans for the opening match. (UNI)
Squad:
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, Naman Dhir.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham (wk), Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Matthew Fisher, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Nathan Smith.