New Zealand must win 2nd ODI to keep heavyweight series alive
India v New Zealand | 2nd ODI | Wednesday 14th January | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot | 10:00am
Wednesday’s game is the second game of a three game ODI series. India won the opening encounter on Sunday when they triumphed by four wickets. The Kiwis need to win on Wednesday to keep the series alive.
India is the top ranked ODI side in the world while New Zealand is ranked second.
New Zealand is without several key players for the series with stars like Kane Williamson, Mitch Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert all on franchise duty in Australia and South Africa.
Virat Kohli, who is currently the second ranked ODI batsman in the world (behind Rohit Sharma) is in an excellent run of form. In his last three ODI knocks he has posted scores of 102, 65* and 93.
India have won each of their last six ODIs against New Zealand.
Black Cap bowler Kyle Jamieson was the pick of the bowlers in the opening game of the series returning figures of four for 41 from his ten overs.
Venue: Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
New Zealand have never played an ODI at the game Niranjan Shah Stadium.
India’s record at the venue is poor – they have played four ODI’s at the ground and won just once.
The stadium has played host to just four ODI’s since it opened in 2013. None of those games has ever ended with a No Result.
The team that won the toss in Rajkot has won three of the four games played at the venue.
The is a venue where you bat first. The team that won the toss elected to bat first on three occasions, while in each of the four games played at the ground the team that batted first ended up as the winner.
The average first innings score at the ground is 332.
The lowest score ever defended at the ground was South Africa’s 270/7 against India in 2015. The Proteas won that game by 18 runs.
No side has ever successfully chased a score at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
Weather:
It’s a good day for cricket in Rajkot on Wednesday with the area expected to experience clear, sunny conditions. The afternoon will be pleasantly warm, with temperatures reaching a high of 28 degrees. As evening approaches, the air will turn crisp and cool, dropping to a minimum around ten degrees. Light northerly winds will persist, making it an ideal day for cricket.
Form (most recent game first):
India: W, W, L, W, W.
New Zealand: L, W, W, W, W.
Key player:
India, Shubman Gill: The ODI skipper has plenty to prove and will be looking to get back to his best form after a spell on the sidelines. He looked solid at the top of the order in the series opener with a knock of 56 from 71 balls, the second highest for the hosts after Virat Kohli’s 93. Gill, who averages 56.35 in ODI cricket, will be hoping for a few more eye-catching performances as he looks to put himself into the frame for a late T20 World Cup call up (if somebody drops out for the hosts).
New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell: Ranked third on the ICC’s list of ODI batters, Mitchell is an incredible player in the format, and he heads into the second game of the series with a career average of 53.82. He is in excellent form with scores of 84 and 119 from his last two ODIs. He looked very comfortable in the series opener on Sunday, and the Black Caps may have won had he managed to stay at the crease for a few more overs. He will be looking to bring it again in Rajkot as New Zealand seek to keep the series alive.
Verdict: New Zealand
Once again this looks set to be a close game. It could well be a game that is decided by the toss with the chasing team never having managed a win in Rajkot. That said, India do not have a great record at the venue. Expect the Kiwis to edge this one and keep the series alive.
