Beating India and winning the One Day International (ODI) series 2-0 at Auckland just showed how hard the 0-5 loss in the recently concluded Twenty20 (T20) had hurt New Zealand. Chasing an imposing total of 347 at Hamilton in the first ODI gave the Kiwis a much needed shot of blood in their system that was weakened by the T20 loss and that to their traditional rivals Australia when they had hopped across to the neighbouring country.
There were a few take-aways, post both the matches, that both India and the Kiwis will need to ponder on. For the hosts, the return of veteran Ross Taylor as an anchor shows how important maturity is when it comes to achieving what is perceived as impossible. With the score reading 3 down for 171 runs, he stitched a 138 run partnership with (acting) skipper Tom Latham to seal the deal for his team.
Taylor, the second New Zealander, after Suzie Bates, to play 100 T20s knows a thing or two thanks to his vast experience of 99 Test matches and 230 ODIs apart from his T20 century. He has been in the International circuit for a little less than 14 years. Having played when the generation of Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Muttiah Muralitharan among others was still active has taught him many things that go beyond the manual of the game.
Keeping a steady and cool mind is one of the lessons he has learnt as the decade is about to change. The way he guided Latham who nailed the Indian attack with a quick fire 69 off 48 balls was a great example of mentorship. In the Auckland ODI, even as he kept running out of partners, Taylor kept the country’s Blue Ensign flag flying and took his team to a respectable 273 runs, adding 76 runs for the 9th wicket with debutant Kyle Jamieson.
Winning the ODI series, with one match to go, has now put the Kiwis in a much better mind space after their crushing losses to the visitors and to the Aussies. The fact they came back without the services of their skipper and leading batsman, Kane Williamson, means whatever mental advantage that India had gained with the T20 brownwash has been nullified.
With one ODI and the Test series to be played, team India need to pull up their socks if they have to gain valuable points in the World Test Championship. Immediately after losing the ODI series to the Kiwis, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said that one-day cricket in this calendar year is not as relevant like the T20s and Test matches.
The statement makes it very clear that team did not put the extra effort required to win the ODIs. Kohli’s thoughts could be due to no more ODIs slated in India’s calendar before the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup (T20WC) to be held in Australia in October this year. Cricket history has shown that a loss of any kind takes the team a step back after having achieved any kind of forward strides.
It was also baffling to see the team management pick Kedar Jadhav in the playing eleven ahead of the in form Manish Pandey who had performed creditably in the T20 series. The Maharashtra batsman has been a regular in India’s ODI squad, barring injury. The prime reason being he also bowls off-spinners. It was strange that he did not bowl a single over in the two ODIs in New Zealand which did not justify his selection and Pandey, a known power hitter, could have turned India’s fortunes in what ended up as a lost cause.
With the irrelevant ODI series almost over, there is one pointless match that India needs to play at Mount Maunganui, the team management need to get their act together with the ‘relevant’ Test series to start on February 21. With Rohit Sharma out of the equation, thanks to a calf injury sustained earlier on the tour, India will be banking on inexperienced Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw to give them a solid start.
In Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult (subject to fitness), the hosts have a potent attack on pitches and conditions that favour them. The ‘irrelevant’ ODI series loss needs to dumped in the dustbin if Kohli and team need to expand the points lead over other countries. Playing sharp will be the key if the visitors have to win the Test matches to stay on to off the ICC championship table.
