After a disastrous campaign in T20I series, New Zealand will be looking to redeem themselves in the three-match ODI series against India. The opening encounter will be played on February 4 at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. Virat Kohli and Men put up a spectacular show in the T20I series and registered a 5-0 triumph. Well, they must be high on confidence with their recent performances and will look to continue their good run. On the other hand, the Kiwis were already dented by the injuries of Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. To make the case worsen, Kane Williamson has also been ruled out of the first two matches and Tom Latham will lead the side in his absence. New Zealand Vs India, Cricket Score 1st ODI Match.
Speaking of injuries, both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will not participate in the series due to their respective injuries. In their absence, KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw are likely to open the innings for India. However, if India sticks to giving the gloves to Rahul, he might play at number five and we could see Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw opening the innings together. For New Zealand, players like Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and Henry Nicholls need to step up to change the fortunes of their side. Meanwhile, let’s look at some key players who can come good in the first ODI. India vs New Zealand Dream11 Team Prediction.
KL Rahul
The wicket-keeper batsman has become the talk of the town with his recent performances and will want to extend his dream run. He scored the 224 runs in the recently-concluded T20I series and has also assessed the conditions well. So, one could again witness a significant performance from him. However, it’s still not clear where he will bat.
Prithvi Shaw
Many eyes will be on the 20-year old Shaw who is all set to make his ODI debut in the first match. Previously, he was the part of India A’s squad who played against New Zealand in the unofficial ODIs and hence, is familiar with the conditions. Moreover, the Kiwi pace attack is also depleted and Shaw should lash upon the golden opportunity.
Kyle Jamieson
Another ODI debut which is set on the cards is of Kyle Jamieson. The right-arm pacer is over two meters tall and has got a break into the national team after a colossal performance in the domestic circuit. Well, one must not forget how Indian batsmen struggled when they first faced Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan in 2012 and Jamieson could be that x-factor the Blackcaps.
Ross Taylor
Despite New Zealand’s dismal show in the recently concluded T20I series, Ross Taylor played some good knocks and will eye to make an even greater impact in the 50-over format as well. Also, he is placed at number five in the latest ODI batting rankings and will not mind getting even upwards by the end of the series.
Jimmy Neesham
The all-rounder played a crucial role in guiding New Zealand to the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and will want to pick up from where he left off. He was also brilliant against India A and one can expect him to come good in the first ODI. However, the only concern with Neesham is his fitness and the home side will want to see the flamboyant cricketer at his prime.
The last time when India toured New Zealand for an ODI series, they dominated the Kiwis and clinched the five-match affair 5-0. Going by their recent performances, a similar seems to be on the cards and the home side will have to put on exceptional performance in order to change the fortunes of the side.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 04, 2020 04:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).