 With the first loss to Sri Lanka, in a game that the Kiwis should have won, their
second game against India assumes proportions of the do-or-die kinds. In
such a tournament, where each loss could end up ending the hopes of a team of
making it into the finals, two successive losses will turn the third game between
India and Sri Lanka into a dry run to the finals between the same teams. New Zealand have no option but to win the game.
Click for Live Score Card of India vs New
ZealandIndia has their own small challenges. For them, this will be the first game
that they will play after almost a couple of months and that could mean that
they would be rusty. Some of the main players did feature in the BCCI's Corporate tournament, but it remains to be seen whether that would be worthwhile practice
for an international fixture like this. It would probably have helped in getting
the rust off the Indian back, but nothing more.
Sachin Tendulkar's return would be welcomed, as would Rahul Dravid,
both, obviously for different reason. While Tendulkar has been out of international
cricket ever since playing in the IPL, Dravid hasn't featured in an ODI for
two years now, and would love to make a mark. Virender Sehwag and Zaheer
Khan miss out from the tournament and the batting load in the middle order will
be shared by Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni.
In contrast, New Zealand would be miffed with themselves for wasting such a
start against Sri Lanka. They had the hosts at 69/5 and could not close
out thanks to Vettori's defensive tactics, allowing them to get to almost 220.
The batting was even worse, what with wickets falling in a hurry of a bullet-train.
For the Kiwis to hold a grain of chance, they will need to realise that they
will be bat and bowl well for the entire duration of fifty overs, and not only
in patched.
Shane Bond will definitely test the Indians, as he always had. But one gets
the sense that Deniel Vettori needs to get more out of himself and Nathan McCullum on a pitch that is slowing down to the extent of making run-scoring
difficult as the game progresses. Continuing with Ian Butler during the batting
powerplay despite his successive run-concession wasn't the best thing to do,
and Vettori would do well to shuffle the bowlers around during the Powerplay.
To me, India will start as favourites, but the bigger favourites would be the
team that wins the toss!
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