New Zealand vs India 2014: Can Team India claw their way back into the ODI series?

Corey Anderson has probably been the difference between the two sides in the ODI series so far

Team India have had a forgettable start to 2014, and by going 0-2 down to the Kiwis in the 5-match ODI series, MS Dhoni‘s men face a gargantuan task of clawing their way back into the series. The batting order hasn’t fired collectively, and the bowling line-up, led by Mohammed Shami, has been way below par as well.

At this level of the game, you can’t entertain thoughts of winning an ODI series just by playing ‘bits and pieces’ cricket, and MS Dhoni’s men will be well aware of that. Talismans in the current ODI side haven’t stepped up to the plate as Dhoni would have liked, and if India has to have any chance of winning the 3rd ODI and staying alive in the series, likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravichandran Ashwin need to up their game big time.

Team India haven’t played awfully as the series scoreline suggests, but unlike 2013, MS Dhoni’s men have been guilty of not finishing off games from seemingly winning positions. New Zealand, led by Brendon Mccullum, have given Team India a run for their money and have been resilient enough to win crucial moments in the past 2 one-dayers, which consequently has helped them in edging out the reigning world champions.

In the 1st ODI at Napier, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni were going great guns, made efficient use of the batting powerplay overs, and very nearly won the match for India. India were going along smoothly at 224-4, and with just 69 runs required off 46 balls, you would have fancied the two most clinical finishers in the game to do it for India, but that’s been the hallmark of this New Zealand side. Just when you think that they are going to wilt under pressure, they’ve risen up to the occasion.

The scenario in the 2nd ODI at Hamilton wasn’t largely different to what happened in Napier. India did lose a couple of early wickets, and there was a 90-run stand for the 3rd wicket between Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli, but in the context of the game, a lack of a 100-run stand pinned India into submission. Also, due to the lack of runs from both the Indian openers, the pressure on Kohli and Dhoni to keep India in the hunt has backfired in a way that this duo hasn’t been able to play to it’s full potential.

Agony and disappointment for Kohli, who has been India’s best player on this tour. Over-reliance on him has probably been Team India’s undoing.

Both Kohli and Dhoni have been forced to rebuild the Indian innings in the 2 ODIs, and in hindsight, it hasn’t quite gone to plan.

Reiterating the headline once again, can Team India claw their way back into the ODI series? The answer is, they have the substance to do so, and maybe go on to overturn this 0-2 deficit in the series as well. But, is Dhoni prepared to tinker with the line-up, take the gamble of injecting a fresh player into the side and give further cushion to the middle order? Can Team India reinvent their x-factor that has been missing in the past two ODIs?

If Team India and Dhoni can have pertinent answers to the above questions, it’s not beyond India to win the 3rd ODI and take it from there. The other question is whether New Zealand can hold their nerve when they are on the brink of an unexpected series win against the reigning world champions?

Bottom line is that, it’s going to be a test of steel and determination for Team India, and MS Dhoni’s captaincy credentials.