2nd ODI: India Eye Series Clincher In Rajkot As New Zealand Look To Bounce Back
Following a narrow four-wicket win in the series opener at Vadodara, India will face New Zealand in Rajkot as they look to clinch the series by taking an unassailable lead in the three-match contest. The two sides will lock horns at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, a typically batting-friendly surface, where the Black Caps will aim to level the series while the hosts look to go 2-0 up.
India’s playing XI for the second ODI is set to see at least one change after Washington Sundar was ruled out of the remainder of the series due to injury. The all-rounder has been replaced by Ayush Badoni in the squad, with the 26-year-old receiving his maiden ODI call-up. Captain Shubman Gill faces a familiar selection dilemma after several fringe players stepped up under pressure.
The first match showed that while veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain crucial, the inclusion of relatively inexperienced players such as Harshit Rana is reshaping the team’s tactical approach. As the action shifts to Rajkot, the team management must decide whether to persist with the successful combination or rotate bowlers to manage workloads.
India have now clinched eight consecutive ODI wins over New Zealand since 2023. At home, they have secured eight straight ODI victories against the Kiwis since 2017.
The series opener also saw India complete their second-highest successful ODI chase against New Zealand, behind the 316-run chase achieved in Bengaluru in 2010.
New Zealand responded strongly in the first game. It appeared they were out of contention when Kohli and Iyer were dominating and India looked set for a comfortable win. However, the Black Caps showed impressive resilience before India eventually crossed the line. Rohit Sharma got India off the mark but was dismissed inside the power-play, while Gill started cautiously against the new ball before finding his rhythm once Kohli joined him at the crease.
India’s No. 3 batted with confidence, taking on the bowlers and finding regular boundaries as he put on a century-plus partnership with the captain. After Gill’s dismissal, Shreyas Iyer continued in the same aggressive vein, adding another solid stand with Kohli to keep India firmly in control.
Kyle Jamieson then turned the game on its head, striking three times in seven balls to remove Kohli and Iyer and pull New Zealand back into contention. With Washington injured, Rana was promoted up the order and played a useful cameo to ease the pressure on wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul.
Even after Rana’s dismissal, a hobbling Washington walked out to the middle and, along with Rahul, steered India home with an over to spare. New Zealand threw everything at India and stretched the contest deep, but ultimately lacked the extra bit of firepower in the decisive moments.
The Kiwis showed character with both bat and ball. After a steady start, a mid-innings slump threatened to derail them before Daryl Mitchell’s composure guided them to a competitive total. With the ball, they kept chipping away and pushed the match into the penultimate over. India, meanwhile, will acknowledge they could have been sharper across departments and will look to iron out those areas in the second ODI on Wednesday.
When: Wednesday, Jan 13, 1:30 PM IST
Where: Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
Where to watch: Star Sports Network (live TV) and JioHotstar (live streaming)
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Ayush Badoni
New Zealand: Devon Conway (wk), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Nick Kelly, Josh Clarkson, Michael Rae, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Hay, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox
