3 reasons why India are favorites to win the T20I series
Team India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against New Zealand, getting the better of the hosts by 65 runs in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 20. After the first match was washed out due to rain, the Kiwis won the toss and invited the Men in Blue to bat in the second T20I. The move did not pay dividends as India notched up an impressive 191/6.
Suryakumar Yadav played a dominant innings, smashing an unbeaten 111 off only 51 balls, a knock that featured 11 fours and seven sixes. After SKY’s brilliance, Team India’s bowlers took over and kept New Zealand to 126. Kane Williamson top-scored for the hosts with 61 off 52, but they were bowled out in 18.5 overs. Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed two wickets each while keeping this tight. Part-time off-spinner Deepak Hooda also chipped in with four wickets as the tailenders perished in their endeavor to take him on.
India and New Zealand will now meet in the third and final T20I in Napier on Tuesday. In the build-up to the clash, we look at three reasons why the Men in Blue are favorites to win the series.
#1 They are the stronger of the two outfits
If we compare the two sides, Team India definitely look like the stronger and better-balanced outfit. While there may be some question marks over the openers, the Men in Blue have a solid middle-order in Suryakumar, Shreyas Iyer and skipper Hardik Pandya.
As we have seen enough times recently, SKY can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition. And while Shreyas and Pandya were dismissed cheaply in the previous match, they are in pretty good batting rhythm. Although Shreyas was not part of the T20 World Cup squad, he has been one of India’s most consistent batters in the T20 format over the last year. Pandya has been top-notch with the bat ever since returning to the Indian team.
Looking at their bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj all have the ability to exploit the conditions in Napier. The spinners, led by Chahal, also showed in the last game that they can make an impact in Kiwi conditions.
In contrast, New Zealand’s batters have been way too inconsistent. Devon Conway and Finn Allen impressed in the T20 World Cup game against the Aussies, but their fortunes have nosedived since. Skipper Williamson’s strike rate remains a big concern, while Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham have not been in great form. The Kiwis have been heavily dependent on Glenn Phillips, but he too has not scored a lot of runs in his last three innings.
The story is similar in the bowling department. There is additional responsibility on Tim Southee in Trent Boult’s absence. Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson have speed, but not the desired consistency. Neesham is a weak link in the bowling, while spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner are not that threatening in New Zealand conditions.
#2 India have the momentum going into the decider
Team India will take the momentum from Sunday’s win into the Napier T20I. With the short turnaround time due to the crammed schedule, New Zealand do not have a lot of time on hand to change things drastically. They will go into Tuesday’s game with more or less the same team that played in Mount Maunganui.
It has been observed numerous times in short series’ that once a team takes the early initiative, it is difficult for the opposition to seize the same back. This is not to say that the Kiwis cannot fight back and square the series in Napier.
In T20Is, all it needs is one spectacular performance with either bat or ball to turn the tide. However, the same looks a bit difficult for New Zealand don’t seem all that confident at the moment. Unless some of the players manage to lift themselves in Napier, a 2-0 win for Team India is on the cards.
#3 The psychological advantage
New Zealand may have thumped Team India in the T20 World Cup encounter in the UAE last year. However, that was more a case of an exception to the rule. The Men in Blue have had the wood over the Kiwis in T20Is over the last couple of years. In fact, the eight-wicket triumph in Dubai is the only win New Zealand have registered over India in the format since the start of 2020.
The Men in Blue thumped the Kiwis 5-0 during their previous visit to New Zealand at the start of 2020. Two of those games were tied, but India clinched both the contests by winning the Super Over. Immediately after the T20 World Cup last year, Team India whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 at home.
Barring a few additions, the Kiwis have been playing T20Is with the same bunch of players in recent years. As such, the psychological impact of not doing well against the Indians over a constant period could come into play. Being so, Pandya and co. will be disappointed if they don’t get the better of New Zealand on Tuesday in Napier.
Watch the India tour of New Zealand live and exclusive on Prime Video from Nov 18- Nov 30. The T20Is on 18th, 20th and 22nd November begin 11 noon, and ODIs on 25th, 27th and 30th November begin 6 am.