5 reasons why New Zealand can be a tougher opponent than Australia
India dominated Australia in the ODIs and the T20I series ended in a draw. Although the matches were closer than the scorelines suggested, India looked a much better and settled side more often than not. Some pundits also declared this Australian team to be the weakest ever to visit Indian shores.
India have looked almost unbeatable at home. Even though the matches went close and India found themselves in trouble quite a few times, there were at least a couple of players who put up their hand and saw the team through. Winning matches from tough situations is the hallmark of a world-class team.
It would be an extremely daunting task for NZ to stop the Indian juggernaut. Although a series defeat for India looks unlikely, here are 5 reasons why NZ can be tougher than Australia to beat.
#5 Short series of three matches
The ODI and T20I series comprise of only three matches each. Short series can become a close one in case India end up having a bad day early on. Generally, three-match ODI series are more competitive as teams come out with full strength, with every match having a context behind it.
Early momentum would play a large role for the team who wins the series. It would be difficult for either team to come back from a 0-1 deficit and win the remaining two matches. Even if the first two matches go India's way (or NZ's way, for that matter), the last match still has something to play for with a series whitewash on the line.
We can expect the NZ team to come out all guns blazing as it would take only one match to turn the series on its head.