3 player battles to watch out for from IND vs NZ 2nd ODI
Team India suffered a comprehensive defeat in the first of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Men in Blue posted a decent score on the board, and a target of 307 was going to be tricky for the hosts.
However, Tom Latham once again proved to be the nemesis for India, as his record stand of 221* with Kane Williamson absolutely blew away India's chances.
Shikhar Dhawan and co. will need to turn up big time at Seddon Park on Sunday if they want to keep the series alive.
On that note, let's take a look at some match-ups that could prove to be crucial in deciding the result of the game:
#3 Rishabh Pant vs Lockie Ferguson
hey Lockie, yeh thoda jyada ho gaya 🫣
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Rishabh Pant has struggled a lot against Lockie Ferguson in T20 cricket, and when the duo came up against each other in the first ODI, the southpaw looked a bit uncomfortable again.
Pant scored just 10 runs in the 22 balls that he faced against Ferguson in ODIs and was dismissed by the speedster in the first ODI.
The hard lengths from Ferguson and his raw pace have been tough for Pant to handle, and it will be interesting to see how he counters them when the duo face off again.
#2 Kane Williamson vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack.
Ravi Shastri - "I sense they will now look to target one of the bowlers, probably take on Chahal"
Next two balls - 4, 4 by Kane Williamson!
Kane Williamson played a typical captain's knock on Friday, as his unbeaten 94 off 98 balls provided the ideal foil for Tom Latham to be the aggressor in their record partnership.
The duo played the Indian spinners really well, and that's probably where they drove home the advantage.
Yuzvendra Chahal had a poor outing, conceding 67 runs in his 10 overs with no wickets taken. However, he has often found ways to come back and could be a tricky customer for Williamson in the second ODI.
The New Zealand captain has scored 103 runs in 130 balls against Chahal in ODIs, but the leg-spinner has dismissed him four times. So this will definitely be a matchup where both players will fancy their chances.
#1 Tom Latham vs Umran Malik
Umran Malik was the only bowler who troubled Latham and Williamson. Rest all they were played easily and nonchalantly. Reason: Medium pacers. Bowlers who bowl below 140 don't pose any threat to batsmen unless they have some swing or seam. Siraj, Bumrah and Umran all bowl 140+.
Team India's spinners definitely didn't trouble Tom Latham one bit as he looked in complete control. But the one bowler who caused the southpaw a bit of discomfort on Friday was Umran Malik.
The speedster was a bit erratic in his line and length, and perhaps that's why Latham scored 34 runs in 23 balls against him.
But when Umran got it right, his searing pace did take Latham by surprise. So it will definitely be a battle worth watching in the second ODI.