Important takeaways from the India New Zealand 1st ODI

The first encounter between India and New Zealand in the 5 ODI and 3 T20I series is done and there are quite a few interesting takeaways. India winning by 8 wickets at a score of 156-2 (DLS) in an overseas pitch would be a delight for the men in blue supporters. Few would have thought that the black caps would be all out for just 157 after a great performance against Sri Lanka in their previous ODI series at home. The black caps won all the three one day games against the Lankan lions getting 300+ totals in all the three matches. It is not a surprise to see India winning the first match against New Zealand as they are in a red-hot form after a series win against Australia but New Zealand losing quite easily is something unexpected. Nevertheless, We get some interesting takeaways from this match which had an outcome different from expected.

The Constantly improving bowling attack of India

Yuzvendra Chahal on action against the Veteran Kiwi Ross Taylor

“When I lost the toss, I thought a score of about 300 par but the bowlers were brilliant. To get them out for 150-odd on this pitch was brilliant,” opined the India captain Virat Kohli after the match. The aggressive captain could have wanted to keep things simple after losing the toss but the bowling department of his side showed him that they can be more aggressive than expected. This clearly shows that the team keeps on evolving in their bowling for the better. The Man of the Match, Mohammed Shami got 3 wickets in the six overs he bowled with two maidens and giving away just 19 runs. Chahal and Kuldeep, the best Indian spin duo at the moment got the kiwi batsmen struggling. The middle order batsmen Ross Taylor and Tom Latham both fell to the trickery of Chahal's leg spin and the opening pair which was supposed to give them a good start were taken care of by Shami. The duo of Guptill and Munro are dangerous and to get their wickets on their home conditions is not easy.

In the absence of Bumrah, there were concerns about the team's bowling but the first ODI shows that all is well without him. The bowling promises to do great exploits along with him in the future. As of now, the team is already looking ahead of experienced spinners like Ashwin and Jadeja. Even Kedar Jadhav had some luck with the ball and got the wicket of Henry Nicholls.

Should we anticipate a comeback from the Kiwis?

Kane Williamson would be disappointed with the loss

At the end of the match, the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said, “Their whole bowling unit contributed well and they need credit for that. We also did well with the ball, showed enough intent and will hope to take those things forward”. He did enough to contribute for the team with his bat scoring 64 runs off 81 balls but others failed short. The team is not at all a poor team on paper as they have proven match winners on their side. It is a well-balanced side that is quite dominant in their home games. The bowlers were not so bad in their performances which is a good sign. As this is a five-match ODI Series still there is room for a comeback and that is what the Kiwis would want to do. They will work hard on finding the weaknesses of the well-balanced Indian side and exploit them. Everything is not done yet as this is just the beginning. Maybe they will come back strong. All it takes is some support to their captain Williamson by star players like Guptill, Munro, and Taylor in batting as well as Southee, Bracewell, and Boult in bowling.

The Real Test for the Indian Batsmen

Kohli and Dhawan were quite comfortable against the Kiwis in an easy run chase

The Indian batsmen did not have much to do. Their bowlers cut their workload by half. Even DLS couldn't complicate things for them. They just had to go and play decent batting and a batting line up that was prepared for a 300+ run chase, 150+ was more than one could ask for but what if the scenario of the second game completely changes? The much-debated number four conundrum still exists. Ambati Rayudu got that slot during this match and might likely continue the same during the next. His job at no. 4 was a walk in the park as Dhawan, Virat and the Indian Bowlers got him covered but his real test starts in a situation where the formidable trio of Rohit, Dhawan, and Virat gets broken through by the Kiwi bowlers.

MSD played well in Australia and it is yet to be seen how he does his job when it comes to the soil of the Blackcaps. He is in a great form and much would be expected from him when the team is under pressure situations. The fitness and form of the injury-prone Kedar Jadhav would also be crucial for India as he was good in the series decider against Australia. Another question that arises is whether the young Shubman Gill would be given a chance. He did exceptionally well for the U-19 team previously in the New Zealand soil but what is he going to do in an International series for the main team. The battle against his debut jitters would provide an interesting narrative. Also, Virat would be rested for the last two ODI matches and rest of the T20I matches in the series. How team India battles without their consistent run scorer would also be something interesting to see. Team India have fared well under the leadership of Virat. It is yet to be seen if this series unravels the weakness of the best Indian side in years.