Young Indian pacers unsettle New Zealand ahead of Hnry Stadium ODI
India's inexperienced pace trio Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh troubled New Zealand in the series opener in Auckland, leaving head coach Gautam Gambhir with selection questions ahead of Saturday's second ODI at Hnry Stadium. Arshdeep finished with the most wickets while Anshul Kamboj's spell included 46 dot balls.
Questions about India's bowling depth before the tour were at least partly answered by disciplined displays from the young quicks in Auckland. The pacers were able to keep New Zealand's batters under pressure, with Kamboj maintaining consistent lines and lengths while others sought bounce from the deck. Those performances provided Gambhir with options as he plans for the second match.
Anshul Kamboj, the Haryana pacer, made a pronounced impact by sticking to his lengths and finding movement without offering batters many scoring opportunities; his 46 dot balls were highlighted as a marker of his control. Though Arshdeep claimed the most wickets, Kamboj's control was singled out as a key feature of India's opening-day attack.
New Zealand struggled to cope with the extra bounce produced by India's pacers, with several batters attempting to play the short ball and getting into trouble. Skipper Mitchell Santner admitted his side "hadn't dealt well with the Indian pacers" after the game and the hosts will need a clearer plan for handling short deliveries in Wellington.
Pitch and ground dimensions present a different challenge at Hnry Stadium compared with Eden Park: Eden Park's shorter straight boundaries contrasted with Hnry Stadium's shorter square boundaries, which could make a prolonged short-ball tactic more costly and require bowlers to vary lengths. Kamboj's ability to hit consistent lines and lengths was noted as potentially especially useful in those conditions.
India's batting also offered mixed signals from the opener: Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the first over, Virat Kohli looked in excellent touch during the chase, while Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel struggled against the short ball and will want to improve in the next match. Those issues will be part of Gambhir's considerations alongside the bowling crop's early success.
Mohammed Siraj has rejoined India's squad after completing his assignment against New Zealand A and is in contention to replace Auqib Nabi. New Zealand have been forced into a reshuffle after Devon Conway's concussion ruled him out of the remaining ODIs; Nick Kelly has been drafted into the squad, with Tim Seifert likely to retain his opening spot alongside Will Young, and Matt Henry cleared of concussion and in line for a return. India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj New Zealand Predicted XI: Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kuldeep Yadav New Zealand Squad: Will Young, Tim Seifert (WK), Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(WK), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (C), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Nick Kelly, Matthew Fisher, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry
BBC Weather forecasts rain as a threat for the second ODI at Hnry Stadium, with chances of precipitation between 38 and 59 per cent and temperatures expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius before dropping in the evening, leaving both teams to prepare for possible interruptions to Saturday's match.
