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After that rather forgetful ODI series, we can hope that Dhoni and Co. are looking to make amends for it in the upcoming Test series. India sure did look better in the whites against the Proteas after a miserable one day outing in South Africa.
The Kiwis, meanwhile, have a record to better. They have only three test wins at home since 2011. What’s even less impressive is the fact that these wins have come against the likes of West Indies (2 wins) and Zimbabwe (1 win).
MS Dhoni would want to go home with a win. A draw would still not be a desired result for a captain who likes to collect those trophy stumps after a winning game.
India have to look to win the series to keep the respect of being the world No. 2 team in the ICC test rankings. So, what do we need to look at in the eve of the first test?
1. Zaheer Khan’s form:
He is back. He is looking good. He needs to get among wickets to leave a mark on his return. What better an opportunity than playing in New Zealand? He has been strong against the Kiwis, if previous records are anything to look at. On a track that is conducive for fast bowling, it would be interesting to see this Mumbai pacer perform.
2. Facing the short ball:
The Indians haven’t looked even a wee bit comfortable against the short ball.
It’s that time again when we ask this question to our Indian batters. Are we really able to play the short ball? One look at Shikhar Dhawan‘s dismissal record in the ODI series and we get a definitive answer to that age old question. It’s pretty clear by now that the Kiwis will continue to use the short ball against the Indian batsmen.
They are good at it and they have been able to get our batsmen out with alarming consistency. Although Virat Kohli has kind of mastered the short ball in these conditions, the rest of the line up leaves much to be desired, particularly Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Murali Vijay.
3. Virat Kohli’s importance:
Nothing seems to be stopping this man.
Is there anything to add to this guy that has already not been spoken about? I guess not. He has been the most successful Indian batsman in the ODI series. He was the most successful Indian batsman in the test series in South Africa. He has turned into the backbone of the Indian batting. Just the fact that he is on the 11th position in the ICC test batsmen rankings looks exciting. This is a golden opportunity for the Delhi lad to storm into the coveted top ten.
4. Cheteshwar Pujara’s brilliance:
Pujara would love to repeat his performance vs the Proteas
Currently at No. 5 in the ICC test batsmen rankings, he is the only Indian in the top ten as well. That itself is a lot to look forward to as far as this Saurashtra batsman is concerned. His 153 against the Proteas not only proves the fact that he is ready for the big games, overseas, but also that he has the ability and temperament to bat for long periods of time while still keeping the scoreboard ticking.
5. The Indian bowling attack:
The bowlers need to answer some tough questions.
Perhaps the most criticized thing in the Indian team’s performance is the bowling department. We have always been a batting side, and for some time in the past, a batting side with a decent bowling attack. That has quite changed in the recent past though. With neither the pace nor the spin department doing anything too fruitful to take home, the Indian bowling sure has been sticking out like a sore thumb.
Ishant Sharma, if chosen in the playing XI, needs to reinvent himself. A big ask when on a tour. But the fact remains that he is bowling terribly at the moment.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar could look to keep his line tighter with the new ball since that’s one of his only weapons to go with given the lack of pace in his bowling.
Mohammed Shami should just continue to do what he has been doing so far. He looks promising. He could possibly be the biggest find for us on this tour.
Ravichandran Ashwin could be the dark horse in this series. The pitches are conducive to spin. With the batsmen not looking to hit every ball unlike a one day game, Ashwin can experiment a bit and find some rhythm.
Even though this is just a two match series and against a side that’s ranked number 8 in the rankings, it’s still a big contest to look forward to. The Kiwis are riding high from their exploits in the ODI series and the Indians who have been left reeling, would love to make a statement or two to put those critics’ wagging tongues to rest.
