3 Questions India need to answer in the ODI series against New Zealand

India will play a three-match ODI series against New Zealand beginning November 25, and these games could play a crucial role as the Men In Blue build towards the 50-over World Cup in India next year.

In Rohit Sharma’s absence, Shikhar Dhawan has been handed over the reins. Shubman Gill is expected to partner him at the top of the order, with the likes of Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav also part of the squad.

The fast-bowling unit comprises of Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur. A lot of eyeballs will also be trained on how newbies Kuldeep Sen and Umran Malik fare. Elsewhere, the visitors have four spinners, with each of Kuldeep Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal capable of doing a job.

As always, the Men In Blue will have several questions to answer during the course of the series. Here, we take a look at the three most prominent quandaries they will be hoping to solve.

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1. Who’s going to open alongside Rohit Sharma?

By sticking with Dhawan as captain when Rohit is unavailable, the Men In Blue have made it clear that the former is still in their first-choice ODI plans. There is enough reason to back that theory up too, considering Dhawan is arguably the most consistent Indian batter when it comes to ICC tournaments.

In the recent past, though, there have been signs that age is starting to catch up. He takes longer than he once did to get going, he does not attack the powerplay as aggressively as would be ideal, and the frequency of his centuries have also reduced. With all that Dhawan brings to the table, the temptation (quite rightly) will be to stick with him for as long as possible.

But what do they do if one of the incumbents breaks down that opening door?

Well, that is a question they have to answer now. Shubman Gill, in his brief ODI career, has shown that he is perfectly suited to this format. He currently averages 57.9 and strikes at 102.65. Dhawan, in contrast, averages 40.5 and strikes at just under 75 in 2022.

So, there is a readymade replacement for Dhawan at the top of the order, and there is a batter chomping to prove his worth alongside full-time skipper Rohit. The question is what path India want to tread. They could stick with Dhawan, or they could twist and install Gill as their first-choice opener.

These three games, from that perspective, could be vital, irrespective of the case you want to argue for.

2. Where do India fit Suryakumar Yadav?

Well, at the moment, anywhere will do. He has been in scintillating touch and he has been batting as well as any India might have ever done in white-ball cricket. While T20 cricket remains, undoubtedly, his strongest suit, he could, if given clarity, be pretty useful in the ODI setup too.

So far, he does not have world-beating numbers in ODIs. An average of 34 and a strike rate of 98.83 across 12 innings is not befitting of a player of his class. What must not be forgotten, though, is that hardly any other Indian batters can have as much of an impact as Suryakumar.

Suryakumar could function as a middle-order dasher, tackling the game head on whenever he walks out to bat. Because of the way he bats, the average is never going to be as high as, say, someone like MS Dhoni. His strike rate and ability to put bowlers under pressure, however, remains unparalleled.

Hence, the Men In Blue must figure out how best they can use him. The top order seems stacked, meaning that that is not a role Suryakumar will be expected to perform. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have also found their feet in the middle order, with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, when fit, making up the rest of the batting line-up. That effectively leaves them with just one place to fill – the No.5 spot.

On paper, Suryakumar seems perfect for it. But he must be given enough game time, clarity and backing for him to make that slot his own. He’s done it in T20Is, and if it happens in ODIs as well, India could suddenly boast a middle order everyone fears.

3. Wrist-spin, finger-spin, or both?

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Against New Zealand, it is highly likely that only one wrist-spinner will feature, largely because India might not require two genuine spinners on those surfaces. With Hardik Pandya missing as well, India might be tempted to play four pacers, including Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, giving them enough batting depth. This, though, could mean that India have to choose a solitary spinner from a quartet of Kuldeep Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Shahbaz and Washington bat better than Chahal and Kuldeep. Chahal and Kuldeep, however, are pose a greater wicket-taking threat. At the World Cup next year, India could play three spinners (including Ravindra Jadeja), based on how the pitches play. So, even though there might be room for only one of these four spinners in New Zealand, there could be plenty of space to accommodate two genuine spinners in India.

Chahal has not been trusted enough at recent white-ball tournaments. Shahbaz and Washington are still raw, and Kuldeep, despite his resurgence, has a few doubters to silence. India have three ODIs in vastly different conditions over the next few days. But the way they handle each spinner might cast light on what direction they intend to take moving forward.

Watch the India tour of New Zealand live and exclusive on Prime Video. The coverage of the ODIs on 25th, 27th and 30th November begins at 6 am.