New Zealand vs India 2022, Hamilton ODI: Indian batting needs fresh approach to save series

India would expect a better approach from skipper Shikhar Dhawan and young Shubman Gill in the Powerplay overs when the team clashes with New Zealand in the do-or-die second One-Day International in Hamilton on Sunday.

Although it is a three-way open field, Seddon Park is renowned for being one of New Zealand's most excellent batting surfaces, where willow throwers would receive value for their efforts. Dhawan and Gill scored 123 runs in their opening partnership, but on the small Eden Park field, their 306 for 7 fell at least 40 runs short of the required total.

Also read: IND vs NZ 2022-23: India leads ICC CWC Super League standings despite Auckland ODI failure to New Zealand

The bowlers could be taken to task for conceding those runs in just over 47 overs, and the buck stops at the main batters since if it was not for Washington Sundar's brilliant cameo, India would not have touched the 300-run mark.

The runs did not arrive at a desirable pace during the first 10 Powerplay over, in large part because the Indian openers prioritised safety over all else.

In a recent interview with PTI, Moeen Ali discussed how teams used to play white ball cricket according to the Australian model, but now the teams are imitating the English approach. India is falling short in this area, as it only scored 40 runs in Auckland's first Powerplay overs.

Pick another statistic to illustrate how the general attitude of Indian top-order batsmen in limited overs forms is the issue (not just Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul or Virat Kohli). Dhawan hit 13 fours while hitting 72 out of 77 balls.

He used 13 deliveries to score 52 runs in the form of boundaries. As he struggled to get going in the Powerplay, he added 20 runs in 64 pitches, 44 of which were dot balls.

Gill added another half-century while the captain battled at the other end, which didn't hurt his overall averages, but the speed of his innings was also questionable. With three sixes and a boundary, he scored 50 in 65 balls. 22 runs were scored as a result of four deliveries. He completed the last 61 deliveries for 28 runs.

India lost a T20 World Cup due to the same strategy of laying the groundwork first and saving the heavy lifting for last, but oddly enough, even with the change in personnel for the ODIs in this series, the strategy hasn't changed.

Also read: IND vs NZ 2022-23, Auckland ODI: 'Not easy to directly come from India and play here' - Iyer

Since there are so many players vying for the opening spots, the players must perform well in order for the numbers to be taken seriously when the pool is reduced to approximately 20 players at least three to four months before the marquee 50-over event by the new selectors.

Although Shubman's spot in the starting XI is uncertain because Rohit will return as the opener, Dhawan will undoubtedly open with him in Bangladesh the following month.

KL Rahul might fill Suryakumar Yadav's middle-order position while he is resting for the upcoming series. Even though Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, who are following closely behind Rishabh Pant, have a superior ODI strike rate and average than T20Is, the vice-captain of this series needs to be more reliable to keep the big gloves away from them.

As Virender Sehwag had stated a few weeks prior, Pant must first settle on his batsmanship style. The marauder from Rourkee appears to be undecided as to whether to assault or defend at this time. The ODI core team will benefit more from his finding his footing as soon as possible.

Bowlers need to find fuller lengths

Indian pacers bowled considerably too short at Eden Park because of its small and peculiar proportions. They will need to figure out a means to stop Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, who have both consistently outperformed India in this format over the years. While Arshdeep Singh struggled for pace despite being able to get the swing, and Shardul Thakur was generally erratic, Umran Malik was impressive, bowling northwards with 145 clicks.

Batting at Seddon Park gets easier as the night goes on, therefore toss is crucial. India will benefit greatly from being able to chase because spinners won't have to deal with the dew effect in the evening. Since the ground is a little bit larger for Kuldeep Yadav's comfort, it remains to be seen if he is tried out instead of Yuzvendra Chahal.

Also read: IND vs NZ 2022-23, Auckland ODI: 'We were quite short to Latham, he took the game away' - Dhawan

India: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Deepak Hooda, Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Shardul Thakur and Umran Malik. 

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Devin Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson. 

Match Starts: 7 am IST.

(With inputs from PTI)