Why Khaleel Ahmed is crucial to India's chances against New Zealand
India won the ODI series 2-1 against Australia at the MCG with an MS Dhoni special. In the 121-run partnership with Kedar Jadhav, Dhoni scored 87 off 114 balls. This was India's first bilateral ODI series win against Australia in Australia.
But the Men in Blue cannot afford to sit back on their laurels after their resounding success in Australia, as New Zealand is a very competitive side to play the one-day game against these days.
All eyes will be on Captain Kohli now, particularly with regard to what combination he plays within the first match against the Black Caps.
Khaleel Ahmed is a player who has shown plenty of potential in the recent past. So, let us understand why Khaleel should replace Vijay Shankar in the playing XI.
The left-arm fast-medium bowler did not do much wrong against Australia but was dropped out only after the first ODI. He conceded 55 runs off his 8 overs, with experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar also going for 66 runs off his 10 overs.
Siraj was picked for the 2nd ODI but he looked completely out of sorts and gave away 76 runs of his quota of 10 overs. All-rounder Vijay Shankar was given his maiden ODI cap for the 3rd ODI, and he did a good job by bowling an economical spell.
But, now the question arises whether Kohli will again look for a makeshift bowler in place a full-fledged bowler? The answer is no, simply because he will want someone to give him a full quota of 10 overs in the opening match of the series. With the likes of Khaleel sitting in the dug-out, Vijay Shankar could be asked to sit out even after a good spell of 6 overs in MCG.
Khaleel Ahmed has played 7 ODI and 6 T20 matches in his career and has picked up 11 and 6 wickets respectively.
The left-arm bowler has better control over the ball than his counterparts. He also has more pace and with his lethal changes, he can prove to be crucial for India upfront and in the death overs. Khaleel is capable of bowling in-swingers at 140kmph which is very difficult to play with the new ball even for world-class batters. So, without a doubt, he should be the number one pick against the Kiwis in the series opener at McLean Park.
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohd. Shami in the team, Khaleel Ahmed also brings another angle to the table, as he bowls with left-arm, which can be vital against the left-handed batsmen of New Zealand.
Bhuvneshwar has bowled outstandingly well against the Aussies, picking up 8 wickets in 3 matches and Shami has supported him quite well with 5 wickets.
Bhuvneshwar has been the mainstay of the bowling attack for some time now. He has a good yorker and a knuckleball which proves lethal for the batters in the latter stages of the match.
His partner Mohd. Shami has been the go-to bowler for Kohli in the Test format. With the likes of Bumrah and Umesh in the team, Shami does not get much chance to play in the ODI format. Although, he has impressed with his bowling in the ODI series against Australia and has made his intentions known to everybody that he is set to play in the World Cup.
India's success in New Zealand will depend a lot on pace battery. So, if India goes in with Khaleel and the experience of other fast bowlers, they can really restrict the Blackcaps in their small grounds. India has a well-balanced side, so they are in with a real good chance of winning the second away series on a trot.