2nd ODI: Virat Kohli in focus as India look to wrap up series against New Zealand

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s imperious run with the bat has helped push aside growing injury concerns around a few key players, and India will hope that list does not grow any further as they look to seal the ODI series against New Zealand in the second match on Wednesday.

India began the series on a winning note with a four-wicket victory in the opener in Vadodara, but the hosts suffered a setback with Washington Sundar ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a side strain.

The selectors have called up Delhi all-rounder Ayush Badoni, though India are likely to bring Nitish Kumar Reddy into the playing XI, especially with head coach Gautam Gambhir favouring players who offer multiple skills.

On the eve of the first ODI, Rishabh Pant was struck while batting against the Indian throw-down staff and was subsequently ruled out of the series. His absence led to the inclusion of Dhruv Jurel, who also remains an option as a specialist batter if the team management opts for that combination.

Despite having cover, India’s white-ball setup would prefer to avoid further injuries with the T20 World Cup less than a month away.

That tournament will see a very different batting line-up compared to the ODI side, though a few names overlap. One of them, all-rounder Tilak Varma, is already set to miss at least the first three T20Is against New Zealand due to a groin injury.

Veterans enjoying the final stretch

For now, those concerns have taken a back seat as the focus of the series remains firmly on the two senior batters who have served Indian cricket with distinction.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appear to be relishing this final phase of their glittering international careers.

Kohli fell just short of his 54th ODI century in the first match, but his fluent 93 off 91 balls laid the base for India’s chase, even though a brief collapse created a few anxious moments.

That minor wobble is unlikely to bother the think-tank, particularly given the gap between the two sides, with New Zealand also fielding a depleted squad for the ODIs.

Captain Shubman Gill struck a composed half-century, while his deputy Shreyas Iyer missed out on one by a single run in the opener. A strong batting display, highlighted by a blistering start from Rohit Sharma, should give India the confidence to go all out once again.

Kohli, who has been training with the same intensity in the nets as he brings to matches, is clearly brimming with confidence and operating at a different level.

It has the look of a batter unburdened by expectations or criticism.

There have been extra layers to his batting this time. Kohli has neither held back from attacking early nor left runs uncollected, which perhaps explains how he became the fastest to 28,000 international runs across formats in Vadodara.

Bowling focus and New Zealand positives

India, however, would want to see a sharper bowling effort, particularly from the spinners, who struggled for grip and turn on the Vadodara surface.

The fast bowlers adapted well by taking pace off the ball, which fetched them key breakthroughs in the previous game. The spinners will be hoping for more assistance from the pitch here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

Despite losing the opening ODI, New Zealand will draw confidence from how they pushed India close, even with Kohli in full flow.

The chase of 301 stayed at run-a-ball for most of the innings before Kyle Jamieson’s three-wicket burst (4/41) briefly swung the momentum.

However, a few dropped catches at the death proved costly for the visitors.

A 117-run opening stand between left-handers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls laid a strong platform, but the middle order failed to fully capitalise.

World No.3 ranked batter Daryl Mitchell’s explosive 84 ensured New Zealand posted a competitive total, while late contributions from Mitchell Hay and Kristian Clarke were encouraging signs.

The visitors will also hope that rookie leg-spinner Adithya Ashok is better for the experience gained in Vadodara.

Teams:

India: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ayush Badoni, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana.

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (c), Devon Conway (wk), Mitchell Hay (wk), Nick Kelly, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Jayden Lennox, Michael Rae.

Match starts at 1:30pm IST

(With PTI Inputs)