In the first ODI played in Vadodara, the Indian batsmen struggled to chase down the target of 301 runs, and in the second ODI played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, the Indian batsmen's poor performance on a slow pitch, the bowlers' wayward bowling, and poor fielding scripted the team's defeat.
The New Zealand team chased down the target of 285 runs in 47.3 overs, thanks to the innings of Daryl Mitchell (131*) and Will Young (87). New Zealand won by seven wickets, levelling the three-match series at 1-1. The biggest reason for India's defeat is the over-reliance on forced all-rounders.
All-rounders proving ineffective
Because of this, the entire team seems to be adrift. Regardless of the format, the selectors and team management are relying on all-rounders instead of pure batsmen and pure bowlers. It would be understandable if the all-rounder were someone like Hardik Pandya. Nitish Reddy doesn't look like an international-level all-rounder at all.
Ravindra Jadeja's effectiveness in ODIs has diminished. There is no batsman at number six or seven who can score runs quickly and put pressure on the opposition. If the team management is looking for that magic ingredient in Harshit Rana, then they need to consult another expert.
Team yearning for a finisher
If Rinku Singh had been in this match, he could have accelerated the scoring rate at the end. If the top two or three batsmen don't score runs, the ODI team looks like a driverless express train that wants to travel to the 2027 World Cup but has no one to take it there.
Why was Ayush Badoni selected?
After Washington Sundar's injury in the first ODI, including Ayush Badoni as his replacement is incomprehensible. Axar Patel would have been a much better option than Sundar. However, only one change was made to the team in the second ODI. Nitish Kumar Reddy was given a chance in place of Washington Sundar. Batting at number seven, Nitish scored 20 runs off 21 balls and bowled only two overs. He is neither scoring runs with the bat nor is his bowling effective. The situation is similar for the other all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja.
Jadeja's Disappointing Performance
Jadeja played 44 balls and scored only 27 runs. He was also disappointed with the ball. Jadeja's last wicket in ODIs was against South Africa on December 6th last year. He has only one wicket to his name in three ODIs against South Africa and two against New Zealand. This means he has taken only one wicket in the last five ODIs.
This all-rounder preference also proved costly for the team in Test matches. Shardul and Nitish were given a chance in the two-Test series against South Africa, but both were ineffective. The team is currently lacking a pure hitter in the lower order. Hardik Pandya does this job well in T20S, but his absence in ODIs is putting a heavy burden on the team.
Dropping Mitchell's Catch Proved Costly
Dropping the catch of Daryl Mitchell, who scored a century in this match, also proved costly for the team. In the 36th over, Prasidh Krishna dropped Mitchell's catch when he was batting on 82 runs. As long as Mitchell was at the crease, the spectators were reminded of Prasidh's dropped catch.
Mitchell scored a lot of runs against the spinners, especially with sweep and reverse sweep shots. He scored his eighth ODI century off 96 balls and kept New Zealand in the series. Kuldeep proved expensive, but two catches were dropped off his bowling. Rohit Sharma dropped Young's catch.
Rahul Showed His Mettle Under Pressure
Earlier, when the Indian team was in trouble, KL Rahul scored an unbeaten century and took the team to a respectable score. Rahul scored an unbeaten 112 runs off 92 balls, which included 11 fours and two sixes. Rahul anchored the innings in the second half, steadying the team when the New Zealand bowlers had rattled the Indian batting order.
At one point, India's score had slumped from 99 for one wicket to 118 for four wickets. The slow pace and lack of bounce on the pitch made scoring runs difficult for the batsmen. Rahul's innings was a brilliant display of technique, patience, and determination.
Rahul completed his century with a six off the last ball of the 49th over, becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century against New Zealand in ODIs. He also became the first Indian batsman to score a century in Rajkot.
Gill's second half-century
Apart from Rahul, Gill's innings was also a positive for the team. Captain Shubman Gill played a responsible knock, scoring 56 runs off 53 balls. This was his second consecutive half-century. Gill adapted well to the pitch conditions and accelerated the innings with nine fours and one six.
The New Zealand fast bowlers created pressure early on with their accurate line and length. Rohit Sharma took 11 balls to open his account. He scored 24 runs, with a superb drive over cover being the highlight. In the second match, he was dismissed trying to play a big shot, giving a simple catch to Daryl Mitchell at deep cover off the bowling of Christian Clarke.
Silence after Kohli's wicket
Shubman Gill looked in good form, but he misjudged a slower, shorter ball from Kyle Jamieson. He played a pull shot, which went straight into the hands of Daryl Mitchell. Shreyas Iyer also didn't last long and was caught at mid-off off the bowling of Clarke.
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