“Rain rain, go away…come again some other day.” This is exactly what our cricket frenzy nation will be praying for when India will be out there in Christchurch for the third and final ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday. Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh quite rightly summed up the situation at the pre-match press conference on Monday and said, “Weather is not in our control. Rain can interrupt the game anytime but we always have to stay both mentally and physically prepared to start playing.”
New Zealand, on the other hand, had to deal with something totally different ahead of their series against India. With big names like- Trent Boult, Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham- giving up their central contracts to feature in franchise-based T20 leagues, the white-ball series against India appeared to be a litmus test for New Zealand. A defeat in the T20I series against India made the situation only worse for the Kiwis. However, they scripted a prompt comeback after emerging victorious in the opening ODI. And, the Kane Williamson-led side will now look to complete their turnaround in the third game and whitewash the Men in Blue in ODIs.
New Zealand ace pacer Tim Southee also opened up on his side’s recent tumultuous period ahead of the series decider.
“There’s plenty of ODI cricket coming up this year leading up to the men’s cricket world cup and as a team we have played some very good ODI cricket for a while and we think the format kind of suits us. There are plenty of games leading up to the men’s CWC and we will find out more as a side as we play along.” Southee said on Monday.
Expressing his desire to present the nation in all three formats of the game, Southee added, “The body feels pretty good at the moment. So (will continue) as long as I can still handle juggling all three and still being able to perform at the level I need to at this level. I love playing all three formats, so hopefully can do that for a wee bit while longer.”
Southee also spoke about the milestone he achieved after he picked three wickets in the 1st ODI against India. Right now, Southee is the first bowler in the world with 300 Test, 200 ODI, and 100 T20I wickets to his name.
“It is special because no one has done it before. When you finish your career and when you look back, hopefully, be proud of what you have achieved. I enjoyed my time and hopefully have many years to go and a few more wickets as well,” he said.
For India, the weather may not well and truly has been in their control but they can certainly make the adverse conditions work in their favour. It sounds pretty simple while reading but actually takes immense courage and deep knowledge of the game to execute in reality. And, the “Men in Blue” did show glimpses of their revamped approach in the second ODI.
Only 12.5 overs could be bowled in the penultimate game on Sunday but that was enough to spot the changes. Suryakumar Yadav has been Team India’s go-to man in the T20Is in recent times. So it was not quite surprising to see him leading India’s charge in the second ODI game against the Kiwis. The world no. 1 T20I batter remained unbeaten after scoring 34 off just 25 balls. In his short stay in the crease, Surya whacked two boundaries and three sixes. The Mumbai-born batter exhibited his unique style of batting and pulled off his trademark switch hit and scoop.
A lot has been spoken about Surya’s inability to replicate his T20I form in ODIs. But the Sunday show could very well mark the beginning of Surya’s run–spree in the 50-over format ahead of the World Cup. Moreover, a match-winning knock in the final ODI on Wednesday might do well enough to elevate Surya’s status in white-ball cricket. Team India will now expect him to roar once more to level the ODI series against the Kiwis and end the tour without losing a series.
Apart from Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill was the only other cricketer, who furnished a noteworthy performance in the rain-interrupted match. The Punjab-born batter, in a bid to up the ante in the powerplay, scored 45 off 42 balls. Well, we can’t forget Shikhar Dhawan’s fancy 72 off 77 in the opening game either. And, the side will depend on Dhawan and his opening buddy Gill to build a strong foundation.
Oh, and, batting has not been the one and only weapon in Dhawan’s arsenal. The Delhi-born cricketer has so far successfully handled the leadership duties for Team India. He is currently enjoying a scintillating record of 7-3 as an ODI skipper.
“Damn exciting, makes me feel so young (laughs). No, but seriously this is a good opportunity for the guys travelling so far, to see the way Shubman has batted and Umran’s bowling, glad to see that transition. As a team, we want to get our processes right, and put on a good performance in Christchurch. Hopefully, we can win and enjoy ourselves,” Dhawan said while talking about the captaincy.
In the all-round segment, Washington Sundar will be another key figure. The Tamil Nadu-born all-rounder scored a quickfire 37 to guide India to a 300-plus total in the first ODI. Washington could not scalp a wicket in the match but conceded just 42 runs after completing his 10 overs. Washington, in absence of someone like Ravindra Jadeja, will aim to gleefully embrace one more opportunity in the final match against the Kiwis and impress the selectors.
A change in India’s approach could very well be ascertained from its team combination in the second ODI. Sanju Samson scored 36 in the first game but India could not afford to keep him on the side in the next game. In Samson’s absence, Deepak Hooda was brought into the playing XI.
The visitors lacked a genuine sixth bowling option in the first ODI. Debutants Arshdeep and Umran Malik looked lethal in the initial phase of the fixture but India’s bowling line-up lacked experience and the required firepower to deal with a formidable New Zealand side. Hooda, on the other hand, offered splendid bowling in the second T20I against New Zealand and picked up four wickets after conceding just 10 runs. One of the reasons why he was included in the playing XI.
There is no doubt about the fact that the Indian pace attack will rely heavily on Arshdeep and Umran in the last game. The two are expected to get some help from the Christchurch pitch. Moreover, the overcast conditions will assist the pace duo in swinging the ball early in the game. But did you know there is something called a bowling partnership, as well? Yes, there is and no one knows it better than Arsheep and Umran.
Arshdeep also talked about his camaraderie with Umran. The pacer underlined the need to have strong partnerships in the bowling attack. “ODIs are bit a longer and you need partnerships in such situations. You have partnerships in bowling as well. If one bowler is getting wickets from one end then the other one needs to contain the flow of the runs,” Arshdeep said at the press conference.
“The atmosphere in the dressing room is quite good. He likes to joke around as well. As far as bowling is concerned, bowling with him is beneficial to me because batters can get deceived by pace when they have to face 135 kph after facing someone who is bowling around 155 kph. So we are enjoying bowling alongside and off the field too. Hopefully, we will continue our partnership,” the 23-year-old added.
A young Indian team, under Dhawan’s leadership, are currently trailing in the ODI series. But their fight has so far been nothing less than spectacular. In the opening ODI, they displayed brilliant batting but Kane Williamson and Tom Latham’s heroics eventually helped the Kiwis in securing the win. And, now, the young Indian lot will aim to bring out their best one final time in order to level the ODI series.
Catch the ODI on 30th November with coverage beginning 6 AM IST, LIVE and exclusively on Prime Video.
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