India and New Zealand will play the second match of their three-match ODI series on Wednesday. India won the first match in Vadodara, taking a 1-0 lead in the series, and will now be looking to win the second match and clinch the series. A cause for concern for India is that two of their players have been ruled out of the series due to injuries. Rishabh Pant was already injured, and Dhruv Jurel was included in the squad as his replacement. Similarly, Washington Sundar's injury led to Ayush Badoni being included in the ODI team. It remains to be seen whether Badoni will make his debut in the second ODI.
Kohli's form continues.
The biggest relief for India is the form of star batsman Virat Kohli. Kohli looked in good form against New Zealand after his performance against South Africa. Kohli narrowly missed a century in the first ODI, but his innings played a crucial role in India's victory. He will be expected to play another big innings. There is no doubt that there will be no changes in the top six batting positions. Rohit Sharma and captain Shubman Gill will open the innings, while Kohli will bat at number three and Shreyas Iyer at number four. Ravindra Jadeja will bat at number five and KL Rahul at number six.
All-rounder likely to be prioritised
India's top six batting positions in ODIs are settled, and if the team management considers any changes, it will likely be in the bowling department. However, Washington Sundar was part of the playing XI in the first match, and his absence will likely lead to another all-rounder being included. The selectors have included Delhi's Ayush Badoni in the squad, but given India's head coach Gautam Gambhir's strategy of prioritising all-rounders, another all-rounder in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy could be included in the final eleven. In that case, Badoni might have to wait for his debut.
Eyes on Rohit and Kohli
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who are now in the twilight of their careers. In the first match, Kohli missed out on his 54th ODI century, but his 93-run innings off 91 balls laid the foundation for India's victory. Rohit, too, will be eager to play a big innings. There is a significant difference between the Indian and New Zealand teams. The Kiwi team's bowling attack is not very strong, and the Indian batsmen will try to take full advantage of this.
Need for improvement in bowling.
India, however, needs to improve its bowling, especially the performance of its spinners. In the last match, the fast bowlers got some wickets by adopting a strategy of varying the pace of the ball, and the spinners will be hoping for a better pitch at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. Despite the loss in the first ODI, New Zealand would have gained considerable confidence from the fact that they gave India a tough fight despite Kohli's brilliant performance.
Probable Playing XI for both teams for this match:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wicketkeeper), Michael Bracewell (captain), Zachary Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Aditya Ashok.
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