India vs New Zealand 2019: 2nd ODI, Bay Oval - Match Preview

India vs New Zealand 2019: 2nd ODI, Bay Oval – Match Preview; Well, after the one-sided game in the first ODI, it is the time for Indians to lock horns against the hosts in the second ODI at Bay Oval. The visitors have got the momentum on their side while Kiwis players would like to bag a victory in the 2nd ODI at any cost.

The Indian team would be very confident after their emphatic victory in the first game. They got their bowling department delivering the goods and then the batting section finished the task when Shikhar Dhawan took the anchor role.

Spinners might come into the game again:

The southpaw Shikhar Dhawan showed his worth in India’s run chase. Although the target was just 157 runs, experts believed the game to be a little more competitive, but Dhawan thwarted any window for a New Zealand comeback.

In bowling, Shami has improved a lot and has come a long way since his comeback. His variations were put into full effect on Wednesday as he wreaked havoc on the New Zealand top order. Another bowler who shined with the ball, Kuldeep Yadav was looked determined to make an impact after a disappointing ODI series against Australia. Chahal was brilliant as well.

On the other side, they were not up to the standards that they have set for themselves in recent times. They have been completely outsmarted by the Indians in all sections of the game. Perhaps, as Kane Williamson said, they failed to judge pitch better.

When all the batsmen failed to really get going for New Zealand, it was their skipper who stood tall. Williamson played very mature innings where he scored 64 and kept the Indian bowlers at bay for a long time. The rest of the batsmen need to pull up their socks in the second ODI at any cost. Meanwhile, bowling looked decent enough to save big tallies.

Changes:

India might go with the same side. Meanwhile, New Zealand might consider bringing in a couple of changes. There is a strong chance that Ish Sodhi might come into the playing XI, as the ground has lengthy dimensions.

Match Preview:

Date and Time: 26th January 2019, 7:30 AM IST.

Venue:  Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Pitch Conditions: The pitch would be suited for batsmen. But, the length dimensions of the ground would help spinners come into the game.

Weather Conditions: It is going to be Partly cloudy. The temperature would be around 24 degrees. Hopefully, no sunlight delay this time.

India’s Predicted Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami.

New Zealand’s Predicted Playing XI: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Tim Southee.

Stats: 

• Virat Kohli has scored five centuries against New Zealand. He is two away from creating a grand record.
• MS Dhoni has scored 541 runs against New Zealand. He can overtake Sachin Tendulkar (652) and Virender Sehwag (598) runs tally.