ICC World T20: 5 key battles to look forward in India vs New Zealand

The T20 World Cup is up and running and we have already witnessed a thriller as well as an upset in the Ireland vs Oman game. The Super 10 round of the gala tournament starts on 15 March with the clash of two quality T20 teams, India and New Zealand.One thing I must admit is that I keenly wanted to add McCullum vs any Indian bowler in one of the battles to look forward to in this slideshow, but such is life and such is McCullum that he decided to retire when he could have finished as the player of thetournament.Though, New Zealand is still a T20 powerhouse and India is a big time favourite to win the World Cup this match will surely be a wonderful start to the tournament.There are some great players on both the sides like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Trent Boult and Martin Guptill and they will provide some wonderful battles against each other.

#1 Trent Boult vs Indian top order

Will Boult provide early breakthroughs for his team?

Not many Indian fans would have forgotten the struggles of their team against Mohammad Amir in the recently concluded Asia Cup. Rohit Sharma seemed like a fish out of water while facing the lanky left armer from Pakistan. He had no answers against the swing and pace of Amir and except Kohli no other Indian batsman withstood the Amir challenge.

New Zealand also have a brilliant left armer in Trent Boult. He has all the traits that make a great left arm fast bowler, swing late into the batsman, wonderful control over line and length and brisk pace. If conditions favour him then he can be a handful to handle with.

If Boult gets India’s top order early then India will surely be under huge pressure as it is their top order that has been firing for them in the last few T20 matches. Virat Kohli vs Trent Boult will be a mouth-watering contest and the winner of this will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the game. It will also be great to watch how Rohit manages to neutralise Boult and if India succeeds in managing Boult well then they surely hold the advantage.

#2 New Zealand openers vs Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah will have his work cut out against New Zealand openers

What Jasprit Bumrah means to the Indian team can be understood from the line that MS Dhoni said at the press conference that if Shami gets fit then he will replace Ashish Nehra and not Bumrah. A young guy with a handful of matches has become such an integral part of the team that an experienced guy like Nehra has his position under danger but Bumrah’s place is safe.

Bumrah has an unusual action and combined with the pace and swing he has, he is a wonderful bowler to have at the start of the innings. Though against him on 15 March will be two brilliant openers in Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson.

Guptill has been in the form of his life in the last year and Williamson is one of the best batsmen in the world. How Bumrah bowls to these two will define to a great extent how India proceeds in the game.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin vs Corey Anderson

Ashwin vs Anderson is a mouth watering contest

Ashwin will be India’s go-to bowler this World Cup because of the form he is in and also the conditions favouring him. His bowling in T20s is a bag full of tricks. The loopy off-spinner is accompanied by the carrom ball and a slow outswinger that he has recently invented. Also against the left handers, he is a bowler to watch out for.

MS Dhoni will have in his mind the name of Corey Anderson while preparing the strategies of the game. The hard-hitting all-rounder in the Kiwi side has the capability to take the game away from the opposition in just a few overs. What MS will also most likely do is save an over or two of Ashwin for Anderson.

Anderson vs Ashwin will be a great contest as both are fierce competitors and nobody will lie down without putting up a fight. Anderson will have a challenge on his hands facing Ashwin in spin friendly conditions but he has all the power to overcome this challenge.

#4 Ravindra Jadeja vs Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot

Ravindra Jadeja will face the firepower of Taylor and Elliot

New Zealand have a flamboyant batting lineup and the key pillars of this batting lineup’s middle order are Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot. Taylor is New Zealand’s best batsman after Kane Williamson in all formats and Elliot is a well-known name after his heroics in the 2015 World Cup semifinals.

With both these gun batsman being right-handers, India will have a plan to thwart them by bringing on Jadeja when they come to bat. Jadeja with his left armers is always a good option against right-handers in turning conditions and he will have a role to play against Taylor and Elliot.

If Taylor and Elliot successfully take on Jadeja then India will have to fall back upon Yuvraj and Raina which will be a great advantage for the Kiwi side. Surely Jadeja will have his work cut out against New Zealand’s middle order.

#5 New Zealand spinners vs Indian middle order

Can Raina and Yuvraj blast Santner and McCullum out of the attack?

India have an imposing middle order comprising of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.When in form, anyone of these three players can take the opposition apart and New Zealand will have their strategies in place for each of them.

In Indian conditions, New Zealand might play both Nathan McCullum and Mitchell Santner. What will be interesting to watch will be how they proceed against the Indian middle order. Especially Santner will have a task on his hand as he will bowl to Raina and Yuvraj who are known for taking apart the left arm spinners. It will be an arduous task for Santner bowling against the mighty Indian batting.

Middle overs are always a key in the T20’s and the battle of New Zealand spinners against Indian middle order can be a crucial factor in the match.If New Zealand spinners strike a blow or two then India might find themselves on the backfoot.