Team India did lose the opening ODI against New Zealand on November 25 but that was certainly not enough to dethrone them from the top spot of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League standings. The second game of the ODI series had to be called off due to incessant rain and India and New Zealand shared five points in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Standings. India have so far bagged 134 points in the inaugural edition of the Cricket World Cup Super League. The Kiwis, on the other hand, are tied on 125 points with second-placed England and are slightly behind on Net Run Rate (NRR) compared to the world champions. The ongoing Cricket World Cup Super League is a part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualifiers. Team India may have already qualified for the cricket extravaganza by virtue of being the host nation but there are still plenty of question marks about their squad composition. After the New Zealand tour, India will have 22 more ODIs to try their mettle ahead of the World Cup. Moreover, a win in the final ODI against the Kiwis will help the Men in Blue in extending their lead at the top of the table.
India, under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, will now aim to win the final ODI to avoid a whitewash against the Kiwis. The win will not only help the visitors to level the ODI series but it will also be a big boost for the young Indian brigade. And, a solid comeback against the Kane Williams-led side will also help India analyse the performance of the players. In a way, the series is the starting point to India’s road to World Cup 2023. Oh, and, it is not just us who think along these lines, India’s interim batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar shares a similar sentiment.
Terming this tour a “fabulous opportunity,” Kanitkar told Spark Sport, “It’s an opportunity they are getting under foreign conditions. There is a lot to learn here. The New Zealand team is a very, very good team. So I think it’s just ideal for anybody who is aspiring to be in the World Cup squad. This is the place to do well.”
Now, only time will tell whether the young guns will be blazing in the final ODI against New Zealand or not. Hey, we can’t ignore the fact that they have certainly managed to attract fans in huge numbers. The third and last game between India and New Zealand is all set to witness a sea of fans as all tickets have been sold out.
As Team India aims for a bounceback in the third ODI against the Kiwis, we take a look at five cricketers and their performances in the 50-over format.
Shikhar Dhawan-
Dhawan kicked off the ODI series against New Zealand on a promising note after playing a brilliant knock of 72. Dhawan created a playing style of his very own since becoming an integral member of the playing XI, nine years back. But merely being technically sound is not enough to succeed in international cricket. One has to keep changing himself and his style according to the situation to stay relevant and this is where Dhawan seems to have faltered a bit. Since 2013, the Delhi-born opening batter has scored runs at a strike rate of 94.51 until last year in ODIs. However, ahead of the series against New Zealand, his numbers quite staggeringly came down to 74.60 in 16 games this year.
But not everything is gloomy for Dhawan. The southpaw has demonstrated effective leadership abilities and he is currently enjoying an impressive record of 7-3 as ODI skipper. But does it ensure him a spot in the World Cup squad? Well, Gabbar himself is still a bit skeptical.
“We guys have been performing quite well. We both have been successful players. But at the same time, talking about myself, I have to keep performing. I do not take anything for granted. I know that till the time I am going to perform, I am going to be there [in the team]. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me hungry,” the 36-year-old said.
Suryakumar Yadav-
Very few would argue with the fact that Suryakumar Yadav is currently the best T20I batter. However, India’s very own Mr. 360 has not been able to replicate a similar show in the ODIs. After playing 15 ODIs till now, Surya has managed to notch 378 runs at a strike rate of little more than 100. SKY also has two half-centuries for India in this format. But Surya is unfazed by stats and past events.
“Can take a bit of time, but the approach and intent will be the same. These things are not in our control. We can just express ourselves,” Suryakumar Yadav had said ahead of the ODI series.
The Mumbai –born batter showed glimpses of his unique batting style in the second ODI against New Zealand on Sunday. He slammed two boundaries and three sixes to score 34 off just 25 balls before the game was called off due to relentless rain. Surya, during his short stay in the crease, pulled out an incredible-looking switch hit and played slog-sweep for a six. Sounds familiar? Well, maybe it is just the beginning.
Shubman Gill-
Shubman Gill was the only other cricketer, apart from Suryakumar Yadav, who could showcase his skills in the rain-interrupted second ODI. Gill smashed four boundaries and a solitary six to remain unbeaten at 45 in the penultimate contest. In the first ODI, Gill scored a half-century against the Kiwis. Earlier this year, the Punjab-born batter offered phenomenal batting to win two consecutive Man of the Series awards in the ODI series against West Indies and Zimbabwe. Gill has so far notched 674 runs at a strike rate of 100.44 in ODIs. Gill might find it hard to overtake Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to cement his spot in the World Cup squad as an opener but it is certainly too early to talk about the final composition.
Washington Sundar-
The 23-year-old all-rounder produced a blistering knock of 16-ball 37 in the first ODI to guide India to a formidable total of 306. So far, he has donned the India jersey on eight occasions in ODIs. Washington may not be having impressive ODI numbers at the moment to stake a claim for a berth in the World Cup squad but a consistent show could very well be enough for him to pull off a miracle.
Umran Malik
The Indian speedster made his ODI debut during the opening game against New Zealand in Auckland. Umran picked up two wickets in the encounter but conceded 66 runs after completing his 10 overs. Lethal pace has always been the prime weapon in his arsenal but one thing that Umran currently lacks the most is experience. With just five international games under his belt, Umran still has a long way to go. For Umran, featuring in the World Cup seems to be a little premature at the moment but the motivation to represent the nation at the highest level could very well work as a catalyst for the Jammu and Kashmir-born pacer.
Catch the final ODI on 30th November with coverage beginning 6 AM IST, LIVE and exclusively on Prime Video.
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