2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in their World Cup 2023 match vs New Zealand
Team India passed their biggest test to date in the 2023 World Cup as they beat New Zealand by four wickets in a gripping encounter at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday, October 22.
With the victory, Rohit Sharma and Co. leapfrogged the Blackcaps to reach the top of the World Cup points table. They have five wins from five matches and the third-best net run rate in the competition, having established themselves as the outright favorites following a terrific start.
India now have a week off to reflect on their performances so far. Ahead of their clash against England in Lucknow six days from now, the Men in Blue will look back on a tightly fought contest against New Zealand and come up with some key takeaways.
Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by Team India in their World Cup 2023 clash against New Zealand.
#3 Mistake - India's fielding, despite the poor outfield, wasn't great
The outfield in Dharamsala, which is currently too sandy to host international matches, was definitely weighing heavy on the minds of the Indian fielders. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah didn't dive to stop boundaries, and rightfully so.
However, India's fielders let themselves down even in those aspects that were very much in their control. Bumrah and Co. seemed reluctant to even cover ground without diving, and the fast bowler shelled a simple catch at long-off.
Even Ravindra Jadeja, who is arguably the best fielder in the world, grassed a straightforward chance at point that cost India quite a few runs, with Rachin Ravindra making the most of the reprieve.
India's intent and concentration on the field were distinctly sub-par in Dharamsala.
#2 Masterstroke - The team management picked Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami
India had some decisions to make when trying to fill the Hardik Pandya-shaped hole in their middle order. In an encouraging sign, they picked the exact combination they should have.
Suryakumar Yadav was rightfully given the nod ahead of Ishan Kishan, considering the right-hander's superior suitability to the No. 6 spot. More importantly, Shardul Thakur was sacrificed in order to beef up the available five bowling options, with Mohammed Shami featuring in the XI.
Shami bowled a game-changing spell and ensured that New Zealand didn't run away with the contest in the first innings itself. Rohit Sharma and the team management could've easily gone with Shardul as part of a five-man attack, like they did in the ODI series against Australia, but they picked Shami instead.
#1 Mistake - Most of India's batters lost their wickets to their positive matchups
India's batters came up with a decent collective display to chase down the total, but the manner of their dismissals could've been avoided.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who are both brilliant against high pace, weathered the new-ball spell but perished to Lockie Ferguson. They should've been able to negotiate the Kiwi quick in the middle overs with ease but were dismissed playing attacking strokes.
Shreyas Iyer played a few pull shots but fell to the most manageable of the New Zealand fast bowlers, Trent Boult. The left-armer doesn't have the pace and bounce to hurry a batter like Shreyas, who is known to have issues with the short ball. However, after playing out the others, the India No. 4 found a fielder in the deep.
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, was run out. The less said about that, the better.
It's understandable that India are playing an aggressive brand of cricket and will therefore witness a few imprudent dismissals, but getting out to positive matchups is something their batters will want to avoid going forward.