India may have secured a victory at Eden Park, but the chase was far from comfortable. It took a masterful innings of 74 off 51 balls from Virat Kohli to guide the visitors home. Now, having moved from Auckland to Wellington, India must prepare for another examination of their ability to handle bounce.
New Zealand’s fast bowlers will undoubtedly look to exploit this weakness. Several Indian batters appeared uncomfortable against the short ball in the opening ODI, and the hosts would have taken note.
Shubman Gill, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer all fell to mistimed pull shots. It is an area the Indian batting unit would surely have discussed and worked on since that match. The hope will be that the other batters learn from Kohli, who demonstrated greater control and judgement against the short-pitched deliveries.
India cannot afford to make the same mistakes repeatedly, particularly against an attack that is likely to test them with pace and bounce. Gill and Iyer, in particular, will be keen to make a stronger contribution.
However, the short ball is not necessarily a weapon exclusive to New Zealand. India have their own pace resources and could use similar tactics against the home side. Arshdeep Singh picked up two wickets at Eden Park through well-directed short-pitched bowling, and Gurnoor Brar could also trouble the Kiwi batters with his pace and bounce.
Another player worth watching is Anshul Kamboj. Named Player of the Match in the first ODI, the seamer could become particularly effective if Wellington offers more seam movement than Auckland. His ability to maintain a disciplined line and attack the stumps makes him an important part of India’s bowling plans.
India have the advantage of a 1-0 lead, but there is little room for complacency. The bowlers delivered a much-improved performance in Auckland, and the challenge now is for the batters to respond with greater assurance.
New Zealand will be eager to level the series on home soil, while India will look to build on their opening victory.
Will Kohli’s teammates find answers to the short-ball challenge, or will the Black Caps strike back? Wellington could provide an important indication of how this series unfolds.
