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CHENNAI: The format is totally different. Some gamers are totally different. And the main focus for the sequence is totally different with a house World Cup forward in lower than a 12 months. And but, Indian cricket’s favorite phrase — intent — got here to the fore as the lads in blue suffered a seven-wicket defeat in opposition to New Zealand within the first ODI in Auckland on Friday.
That they scored 306/7 runs regardless of being 160/4 and went on to lose in 47.1 overs instructed the story. If that was not sufficient, Shreyas Iyer, who top-scored for India with a 76-ball 80, mentioned after the match that it was commendable of them to get previous the 300-run mark from the place they had been. And he isn’t far off. India’s No. 3, 6 and seven mixed so as to add 153 runs from 130 balls whereas, the openers — Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill — scored 122 runs cumulatively from 144 balls.
Make no mistake, the circumstances weren’t simple for them. The Indian openers had been examined by a high-quality tempo assault, with the seamers getting adequate seam and swing on the brand new ball. And because the innings progressed, circumstances bought higher, however one of many key elements that affected them was the dearth of strike rotation from the opening duo. Dhawan and Gill had a dot-ball proportion of 59.74 and 58.46, respectively. Each of them struggled in opposition to Matt Henry, and after they caught up and registered their fifties, they weren’t capable of convert it into an enormous rating.
Suryakumar Yadav was out even earlier than he bought himself in, and Rishabh Pant struggled. Shreyas and Sanju Samson helped India revive earlier than Washington Sundar took on the Kiwi bowlers within the final part. Granted, Shreyas had his share of luck and regardless of his struggles in opposition to excessive tempo, the Mumbai batter has continued to improvise and discover methods to attain runs.
With the ball, Shardul Thakur bowled superbly with the brand new ball with only a few wickets to point out. Nevertheless, how lengthy earlier than the truth that he has conceded extra runs than any Indian pacer (6.21 RPO) since 2021 will come into focus is but to be seen. India went in with simply 5 bowlers which didn’t assist their trigger both, particularly when certainly one of their frontline pacers in Arshdeep Singh had a day to neglect. The 2 bowlers who had been spectacular by means of the day regardless of the counter-attacking innings from Tom Latham had been Washington and Umran Malik.
India performed a XI that prolonged their batting to No. 8 and but managed solely a par rating in a venue that has been a pro-chasing floor. That they’ve an issue of a lot and most gamers within the squad might need behind their minds that they’re enjoying to safe a spot each time they exit solely provides to it. The best way issues went down on Friday was eerily just like how Meg Lanning’s Australia comfortably chased down 278 on the identical floor in opposition to India within the 2022 Ladies’s ODI World Cup earlier this 12 months.
They nonetheless have two extra matches to go. As Shreyas mentioned, they might need to return, introspect and are available again with new concepts within the subsequent recreation. For there are fairly a couple of spots up for debate, maybe most likely together with the one who’s main the staff within the sequence. And the one method to develop into a everlasting fixture on this Indian staff is to win matches for the staff on a constant foundation.
Transient scores: India: 306/7 in 50 ovs (Shreyas 80, Dhawan 72, Gill 50; Ferguson 3/59, Southee 3/73) misplaced to New Zealand 309/3 in 47.1 ovs (Latham 145 n.o, Williamson 94 n.o; Umran 2/66).
