New Zealand v India 2014: First ODI Preview - Napier all set for a high scoring affair

India’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (front R) smiles after a press conference following the team’s arrival at Auckland International Airport for the cricket series against New Zealand on January 13, 2014. New Zealand and India will play five one-day internationals between January 19 and 31, followed by two Tests in Auckland and Wellington in February.

With the BCCI, the ECB, and Cricket Australia in talks about taking control of the ICC, this could well be India’s last full tour to an ICC member country, excluding Australia and England. With the talks about the FTP being scrapped in favour of the ‘big three’, New Zealand would like to send out a message, saying that they will be no pushovers, and that they can give the big boys a run for their money.

For that to happen. New Zealand will need a dramatic change in their home record. Since 2009, they have only beaten Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in a home ODI series, and if they manage to somehow turn the tides over, it would be a huge boost to New Zealand cricket as a whole.

India, on the other hand, could lose their no.1 ODI ranking, if they lose the series. The Indian batsmen could enjoy the small boundaries that most grounds in New Zealand have in offer. However, New Zealand are still toying with the idea of playing an all-seam attack, to exploit chinks in the Indian armour that were harshly exposed by Dale Steyn and co. in the recent ODI series in South Africa.

Cricket in New Zealand is usually played on rugby grounds. That means the boundaries are weirdly shaped, and it is hard to set a field to. With there being heavy winds as well, India will look to play smart cricket, while New Zealand will look to their familiarity of home conditions to do well. Napier has usually been a haven for batsmen. The last time India played an ODI there, they raked up 273 in their 38 overs with contributions from Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, and Suresh Raina.

However, India’s biggest concern is the bowling. The series against the Windies apart, the lowest score that India has managed to restrict an opposition to, in the past 4 months, is 295. With small boundaries and unusual outfields, it will once again be a test for the Indians.

Team News

New Zealand: With Brendon McCullum mulling over the possibility of playing 4 seamers, the only debate for New Zealand will be whether to play with Nathan McCullum or Adam Milne. Milne could test the Indian batsmen with his searing pace, alongside the now settled trio of Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, and the ever-improving Mitchell McClenaghan.

Probable XI: Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum/Adam Milne

India: From the last ODI that India played, both Yuvraj Singh and Umesh Yadav have been omitted from the squad. While Yuvraj’s spot will go to one of Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu or Stuart Binny, the fast bowlers will also be a concern for Dhoni. While Mohammad Shami picks himself on merit of performance, the others have been slightly off the boil, and one wouldn’t be surprised if Dhoni gave his state-mate Varun Aaron a go, considering his raw pace.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu/Ajinkya Rahane/Stuart Binny, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Varun Aaron