Biggest challenges Kiwis will pose to India in ODIS

New Zealand would be a tougher opposition for India than Australia
New Zealand would be a tougher opposition for India than Australia

With a historic triumph in the ODI series against Australia under their belt, the Indian one-day team would arrive in New Zealand brimming with confidence. However, there is absolutely no room for complacency as New Zealanders currently possess a much better team than Australia and also have great memories from their previous home series against India to draw from.

In 2014, the Kiwis registered a thumping 4-0 victory over the Indians at home. Ross Taylor got back to back hundreds in the final two ODIs while Kane Williamson scored a half-century in each of the five matches. The bowlers also did their job well with a key role being played by the spinner Nathan McCullum.

So, what can we expect this time? It is certain to be a tougher series for India than the one in Australia. The batting line-up of New Zealand is much more potent than the very brittle one that Australia had. Kiwi bowlers were also far more capable than their Australian counterparts in their recently-concluded ODI series.

Let’s look at the biggest challenges that India would face from the host team in the 5-match ODI series.


#1 A Dangerous Opening Duo

Martin Guptill is a very dangerous batsman at the top of the order
Martin Guptill is a very dangerous batsman at the top of the order

Martin Guptill’s abilities are well-known. He is a dangerous batsman who likes to score big and has an ODI double-hundred under his belt. Like his counterpart Rohit Sharma, Guptill possesses the ability to clear the boundary with ease and on his day could be ruthless with his big-hitting.

Colin Munro, the likely opening partner for him, is an even more aggressive batsman who likes to go after the bowling with more alacrity. While Guptill seeks to dig in for long-hauls, Munro would attack right from the start. The battle between him and Indian seamers, especially Bhuvneshwar, would be exciting to watch.

#2 The Spine of the Batting

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are the two best batsmen in the home team
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are the two best batsmen in the home team

The biggest challenge for India would be the two pillars of the Kiwi batting line-up at the numbers 3 and 4 – Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. In spite of being the junior among the two, Williamson has become the more highly-rated player in the side. However, in the ODIs, Taylor has often been the more prolific hundred maker as well as more devastating.

With 20 ODI hundreds under his belt, Taylor’s appetite for big scores is well-known. What is also known is his capacity for shredding bowling attacks to bits in the final overs. His trademark whip over the midwicket has given nightmares to many a bowler over the years.

Williamson, on the other hand, is the smoothest batsmen in the world. Without any slogging or wild hitting, he has been able to score at over run-a-ball in many matches. He rarely looks out of form and tends to deal with quality bowling without any fuss. The only flaw in his record is not converting many of his 50s into 100s, but he manages to churn out runs for his team with great consistency.

#3 The Supporting Cast

Tom Latham is a very capable batsman with good memories of playing against India
Tom Latham is a very capable batsman with good memories of playing against India

Guptill, Williamson and Taylor are the big-three in the New Zealand line-up but who else should India pay attention to?

Tom Latham is one of them. Back in the ODI squad after some time, Latham is an understated batsman but one who has good memories of playing against India. In the last series between the two teams – in India – Latham batted superbly and scored a brilliant hundred. Not the most expansive batsmen, he is capable of milking the bowling and finding the gaps when necessary.

Henry Nicholls is fast emerging as a very reliable batsman for the Kiwis in Test cricket and is likely to play a part in this series also. How he will perform in this series can’t be predicted easily.

One batsman who can pose a serious threat to Indian bowlers in the death overs is Colin de Grandhomme. Known mainly as a medium-pace swing bowler, Grandhomme is physically strong and was expected to be a big hitter in international cricket. After disappointing initially, he finally started to show his mettle with some dazzling knocks in recent times where he bludgeoned bowling attacks with ease in both Tests and ODIs.

Still not in the category of a Kieron Pollard or Ben Stokes, Grandhomme, nevertheless, can contribute some quick runs lower down the order.

#4 New Zealand Pace Attack

Trent Boult and Tim Southee would spearhead the pace attack of New Zealand
Trent Boult and Tim Southee would spearhead the pace attack of New Zealand

The bowling attack, as usual, would be spearheaded by Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Most cricket fans are aware of the quality these two bowlers possess. They are two of the best swing bowlers in the world but also have some other tricks up their sleeves.

While Southee can use his height to good effect in getting extra bounce, Boult has grown into a very cunning bowler who adapts brilliantly to different situations. Apart from his usual full-length deliveries that he tries to swing, Boult also has a good slower ball, a useful bouncer and can also vary his line and length to trouble the batsmen.

The support cast for supporting pacers includes de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Doug Bracewell and Lockie Ferguson. The last one is the most exciting bowler among them due to the high speeds he generates. While not a finished article, Ferguson’s raw speeds could add another dimension to the pace attack.

Matt Henry is more in the mould of Boult, except for being a right-armer. He too is able to get swing and has some valuable experience of bowling well in ODIs. Bracewell is mainly a swing bowler but one who hasn’t lived up to the expectations he roused after his famous match-winning effort at Hobart Test of 2011. De Grandhomme, as mentioned, is a medium pacer who swings the ball effectively in helpful conditions.

So, it’s Boult and Southee who pose the biggest threat in this department with Ferguson being the x-factor. Henry too could make an impact.

#5 Spin Bowling for Kiwis

Mitchell Santner is a very accurate bowler in the middle overs
Mitchell Santner is a very accurate bowler in the middle overs

The two spinners picked by the New Zealand selectors are Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner. The two are very contrasting in their styles. While Sodhi is a typical leg-spinner who can get wickets but also concede big runs, Santner has emerged as a very reliable economic bowler for the home side who can prevent the quick flow of runs in the middle overs.

To be fair, Sodhi, with T20 experience, has also learned to bowl defensively but being a leggie, is a bit of a bet. Santner, though, uses brilliant variations of flight and speed to keep the batsmen honest. It will be interesting to see whom the team management picks.

Playing Spin

New Zealand batsmen, including Williamson, are very good players of spin bowling
New Zealand batsmen, including Williamson, are very good players of spin bowling

India’s recent success in ODIs has often been through the performances of the wrist-bowling duo – Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Ravindra Jadeja also bowled well in the Australia series. But they will have a bigger challenge in the form of Kiwi batsmen.

In the last series in New Zealand, in 2014, the Indian spin bowling pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja failed miserably against the home team’s batsmen. Williamson’s brilliance in playing spin proved to be a major factor then and could do now also.

The likes of Guptill, Munro and Taylor may be a little more vulnerable but then, Latham too has shown great ability in playing the slower bowlers. That is a big asset. Two good batsmen of spin can turn the tide in favour of the home side.

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Edited by Kingshuk Kusari