NZ vs IND: 3 changes India can make in the second ODI against New Zealand
After winning the rain-affected T20I series against New Zealand, the Indian Cricket Team faced a humbling defeat in the first of the three ODIs. The hosts won the opening ODI in Auckland at Eden Park by 7 wickets on Friday (November 25th).
The Indians could muster 306/7 after being put in to bat first, which proved to be an under-par total on the board. In reply, New Zealand replied in emphatic fashion courtesy of Tom Latham's century, helping the Blackcaps take a one-nil lead in the series.
The second game of the series will be played at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday (27th November). The Men in Blue have been tinkering with their side every now and then, with senior players often missing out.
The idea is to give other players an opportunity to stake a claim for their spot in the starting XI. Keeping that in mind, the team management could make some changes in the next game. On that note, let's take a look at three changes India can make in the second ODI.
#1 Deepak Hooda for Suryakumar Yadav
For all his success in the shortest format of the game, Suryakumar Yadav has flattered to deceive in the 50-over format so far. In 14 ODIs, the Mumbai batter has scored only 344 runs with the highest score of 64. In his last seven innings, he has yielded an average score of only 27.
India have been backing him to come good with some form on Suryakumar's side but they might want to look at other options too. They took a gamble of sorts in the first ODI at Eden Park, going in with only five bowling options. That left the captain clutching at straws and looking for answers in tricky situations.
With none of the batters in the team capable of rolling their arms over to chip in with a few overs, the door might open for Deepak Hooda as a sixth-bowling option to add some balance to the side.
#2 Kuldeep Yadav for Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal hasn't had the best of runs in recent times. The leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2022 was benched for the national side during the T20 World Cup. The leg-spinner returned to the side, and took a couple of wickets in the T20I series against New Zealand.
Even in the first ODI, the Rajasthan Royals bowler looked like a shadow of himself. He conceded 67 runs and went wicketless in his 10-over spell, delivering an uninspiring performance, to say the least.
With the competition for places in the spin department for India's squad for the World Cup next year, the team management might look to give Kuldeep Yadav a go at Seddon Park.
#3 Deepak Chahar for Shardul Thakur
With Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik making their debuts, Shardul Thakur was the leader of the pace bowling unit India put out for the first ODI. The medium pacer delivered a decent opening spell before being taken to the cleaners by Tom Latham, conceding 25 runs in an over.
He conceded 63 runs in his 9 overs, picking up the lone wicket of Finn Allen. Having earned a reputation as an all-rounder because of his contributions with the bat in Test cricket, the Mumbai player hasn't really contributed in that department.
Deepak Chahar, on the other hand, has proved to be an effective option for India in both departments. Not only does he have the potential to be lethal with the new ball but is also someone who can hold his own with the bat, making him an option India might look to turn to.