New Zealand vs India, 2nd ODI – India Predicted XI

While it was an ideal start for India to kick off the New Zealand tour, the overall game experience was somewhat disappointing. A lot was expected from the hosts, particularly with the brand of cricket that they’ve been playing over the last few months. The highly anticipated high-intensity battle ended up being a one-sided encounter in which the visitors triumphed by an 8-wicket margin.

The focus now shifts to the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui where the next two games of the series will be played. Yet again, there are high expectations on this game as well, as the Kiwis are known to bounce back hard and even more so when they are playing at home. Hence, it will be a huge challenge for the Indian team who thrive under pressure and are definitely eyeing at getting an inch closer to the series win. But, will they tweak around with the winning combination?

Here is the Predicted XI for India for the 2nd ODI

Openers (Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan)

Rohit Sharma looked slightly off-color in the last two ODIs – one against Australia and the other against the Blackcaps. The right-hander did stay in the middle for 24 balls but his usual ease of stroke-making wasn’t on display. He only managed to score 11 runs before he edged the ball straight to the slip fielder. With him being the leader of the side for the last two games of the series, Rohit should soon get some runs under his belt which will boost up his confidence.

His partner Shikhar Dhawan, though, looked like he was just one knock away from his best all through the three ODIs against Australia. He finally got to spend enough time in the middle in the first ODI and the results were quite evident. The unbeaten 75 might just get his self-trust back and we might witness the best of Dhawan in the games to come.

Middle Order (Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav)

The New Zealand bowlers tried out various ploys to unsettle Virat Kohli in the series opener. It somewhat worked out as getting the Indian skipper out once he gets his eye in is extremely difficult. With just two games left for him in the series, Virat could possibly unleash and he is highly likely to get a massive score in the 2nd ODI.

Ambati Rayudu will get another opportunity at four. Although he got to bat in the previous game, the 33-year-old might not have faced enough deliveries as per his liking. Rayudu will hope that he gets to bat more in the upcoming match so that he gets a few runs which will eventually raise his morale.

MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav will complete the middle-order. The services of both these men weren’t required in the last game with the bat. Both of them are sure to continue in the eleven which means that Dinesh Karthik will be warming the bench a little longer. Even Shubman Gill will have to wait for his opportunity which could come in at least one of the last two ODIs.

All Rounders (Vijay Shankar)

The management will need more time to assess Vijay Shankar’s all-round abilities. He didn’t encounter the testing scenarios as yet in his ODI career. Ideally, the team will want to see how he responds to a pressure situation and he might also get to bat ahead of MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav if the team is in a good position. It is also to be determined if he is capable of delivering eight to ten overs in the match as Hardik Pandya usually does.

Bowlers (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked good with the new ball in hand and was hitting the right areas. More the amount of cricket that he plays, he will get that much better. Sharing the pace duties with him will be Mohammed Shami who seems to be at his best at the moment. He hurried the New Zealand batsmen with his pace and picked up three wickets in the first ODI. With his recent performances, he has almost sealed a World Cup spot and the management will give him as much game time as possible.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will be the two spinners in the eleven. It is heartening to see them compete for places as only one of them might get into the playing eleven once Jasprit Bumrah is back. The team is thriving in their performances. The spin-twins are expected to be quite successful against the Kiwis once again.

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