Five things India should try in the ODI series against New Zealand

The build up to the ICC Cricket World Cup of 2019 has begun, with teams looking to build their squads for the premier event to be held in England, a squad that is well balanced and equipped for English conditions.

India are playing some good cricket at the moment. New Zealand are next up in India's home season and the ODI series promises to be an exciting one. Here, we look at five possible strategic options that the Indian Cricket team should look at against New Zealand in the upcoming ODI series.

Hardik Pandya with the new ball

Hardik Pandya troubles the batsmen with the short ball. He is quick through the air and hurries the batsmen with pace. The short ball is Pandya's go-to ball.

But he also has a lovely outswinger that swings late and quite often concerns the batsmen. Ever since he made his debut for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, he has evolved as a bowler by adding a bit of pace to his arsenal and he consistently hits a good length.

During New Zealand's tour of India in late 2016, Hardik Pandya was trusted with the new ball and he troubled the Kiwis with some mean outswingers upfront and picked up three wickets for 31 runs in the Dharamshala ODI. He would be best utilized upfront with the new ball and it might not be a bad idea to give him a go with the new ball.

KL Rahul at number four

KL Rahul has the game for the number four position, which his versatility helps with. The New Zealand series could be the chance to try him at number four.

If the team loses two early wickets, then he has the technique to build an innings from scratch and lay a platform for the lower order to capitalize. He rotates the strike quite well and is equally proficient against spin and pace.

He also has a power game that was there for everybody to see during the IPL and in his innings against the West Indies in a T20 international in Florida, where he came out to bat at four and blasted 110 runs in just 51 balls and almost won the game for India on his own.

Given the current state of affairs in the Indian batting order, Rahul can make the number four position his very own by producing quality performances and by maximising every opportunity that he gets.

M.S Dhoni should be used differently

M.S Dhoni should control the middle order, but in a slightly different way. He should be given the responsibility to construct the innings and work as an architect rather than as a finisher.

India have two dynamic players in Kedar Jadhav and Manish Pandey, who are perfectly suited to play the role of a finisher and with the advent of Hardik Pandya, the lower middle order is as explosive as ever.

M.S Dhoni should play higher up in the batting order, possibly at five, a position that would suit his style of play and will provide India with much needed experience in the middle order. The position will allow him to get in ,accumulate and then change gears when the situation demands.

R Ashwin

R Ashwin needs to up his game in ODIs

Perhaps it's too early to say, but Kuldeep Yadav could be leading India's spin bowing attack going into the World Cup. He has something different to offer with his left-arm wrist spin and he has shown tremendous promise. But what stands out is his ability to pick up wickets in the middle overs.

Ravichandran Ashwin has dropped down in the pecking order for India in the limited overs game. However, he has been the backbone of the Indian bowling unit for quite a while now and the New Zealand series is the perfect opportunity to give him a chance to rejuvenate himself in limited overs cricket for India.

He would complete the bowling attack for India and would make it a force to reckon with. He just needs to be consistent with his performances. He has been in good form lately for Worcestershire at the county level, and his contributions with both bat and ball helped Worcestershire to win the Division two title and earn a promotion.

An explosive approach with the bat

ODI cricket is witnessing a transformation wherein teams are playing a fearless brand of cricket. Inspired by the T20 style of play, they are looking to maximize every scoring opportunity.

Started off by New Zealand and adopted by England, the methodology has completely transformed the way in which ODI cricket has been played.

300 is a par score now as the pitches are becoming flatter day by day. The fear factor has gone missing from the minds of the batsmen, one main reason being the advent of T20 cricket.

As there is no lack of power hitters in the Indian batting lineup, the Indian team should try to go full throttle to put a huge total on the board. New Zealand have a good bowling attack and it gives a perfect opportunity to Indian batsmen to test their skills and power hitting.