For the first time in this Champions Trophy, India will face a team that can genuinely challenge them. Consistency and tenacity are among New Zealand’s biggest strengths and with players who are willing to go the extra mile, the Black Caps are certainly capable of upstaging India.
Even though New Zealand are still viewed by many as a team consisting of mainly average players, the current unit well and truly has more quality overall than Pakistan and Bangladesh at least.
Sunday’s clash between the two teams at the Dubai International Stadium doesn’t carry too huge a significance as both India and New Zealand have already made the semi-finals along with Australia and South Africa from the other group. However, the battle for the top slot of Group A is still up for grabs, which is one aspect the two sides will be eyeing.
Like India, New Zealand too didn’t have to break much sweat in beating tournament hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh. Yes, India have a better knowledge of the Dubai
conditions, but the Black Caps too have the spin wherewithal to deal with those slow
pitches there.
The Dubai pitches haven’t aided strokeplay as much as the ones in Pakistan did. In that sense, India are certainly better placed as the New Zealand batters are yet to play on those surfaces.
Facing the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav thus will not be too easy for the Rachin Ravindras and Tom Lathams.
But the form that captain Mitchell Santner is in, India too cannot take New Zealand’s spin attack lightly. It wasn’t too many days back when Santner, Glenn Phillips and the other Black Caps spinners bamboozled the Indians in India for New Zealand’s historic 3-0 Test series sweep.
India can put pressure on the opposition if Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill get the team off to a flier. But will Rohit play on Sunday? He had hurt his hamstring while fielding in the previous game against Pakistan. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, though, assured Rohit is “alright”. “It’s an injury he’s had before, so he knows how to manage it really well,” Ten Doeschate stated.
This New Zealand match is also one game where Virat Kohli — set for his 300th ODI — would like to score again and set himself up for the business end of the competition.
